Hey family,
I cannot summarize the significance of this moment. I am amazed at the bravery you exhibit and the wonders of your choice. I think about you often and all that you carry. Thank you for your selflessness and your discernment as you consider this decision. Please know that I have complete faith in your strength, grit, and resilience, and hold full admiration for you in the promise of all that is ahead.
I want you to know that I am incredibly grateful for your consideration as you lovingly choose the person to guide your child and to share in the pieces of your journey. Please know that I love with all of me and that I am so excited to guide and grow a child into their best self. If I convey nothing else about me, I hope that you learn that:
- I am grounded, open, nurturing, curious, and so excited to share the journey
- My life is centered on discovery, art, respect and love
- My home is in an idyllic community that is warm and welcoming
- My work is both meaningful and extremely flexible
- My village is wide and deep, diverse, loyal, supportive, and generous
Background & Life at Home
I grew up in Massachusetts as an only child, raised by my mom (she’s my best friend). I am single and live with my four-year-old Great Dane, Aurora. I have twin god sons and a god daughter with whom I’m close—children who are incredibly excited to meet and welcome a new baby into the family! They have planned all of the fun weekend activities they want to do, and set aside the toys they want to share with a little one.
I live in an active neighborhood, where families take walks a couple of times a day and everyone waves and smiles like they have no cares in the world. Everyone here is warm and makes a point to get to know one another. We have trails with all kinds of wildlife, connect on neighborhood walks, and share in neighborhood traditions like the lighting of a community Christmas tree and menorah, shared Kwanzaa celebrations, and regular block parties and barbecues. The schools here are within walking distance from my home and perform well.
Family, Friends & Centered Cultural Sharing
I was raised on the African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child.” This village of aunties, uncles, aunts and friends has extended culture and language to me, among many other things. I speak English, Spanish, and sign (American Sign Language), having grown up doing so in a very international and diverse community that is still very active in my life today. My grandmother was incredibly important in my life and has passed forward many traditional stories and recipes that I am excited to share. My family is wide and deep—large and close-knit—and has always been diverse in that way. We are all unique individuals with our own identities, but we know one another and embrace those identities and the connections that come with them. We each carry different cultures from the corners of the world, from the Native American storytelling of my grandmother, to my Aunt’s language lessons and stories of her childhood in Germany. Some of us have been born into the fold, others have been married in, and some have arrived here from life’s choices, twists and turns. Adoption has been a regular part of my family’s history across generations of people and is a regular part of my village, we love equally regardless of how someone arrived. For me, adoption is and has always been a natural and constant part of my dream for how I’d grow my corner of the family—my ground-level choice.
If we have a chance to talk, you’ll hear me speak often about my village—the people who have been present throughout my life and regularly show up for love, joy and support. I am surrounded by an incredible village of family and close friends who have instilled and reinforced in me the core belief that each of us should pour into another person what has been poured into us. While they have always been present and active in my life, this became so vividly clear after the passing of my son. As I took time to heal and recenter, my village poured into me so much that I overflowed. Just as they appeared in moments of celebration, they showed up– without my call– in moments of loss. More than 300 people showed up for the memorial of my 18-day old son. They prayed and called, texted, sent meals and movies, wrote letters, reminded me of moments of discovery and joy, listened and shared so much of themselves, pouring into me in ways that I wasn’t expecting. I am so excited to have such an amazing group of loved ones to share with your child. They are so excited to extend their love to your baby.
Being a mom is now part of my identity—it will never go away, but I haven’t fully had a chance to mother. Not only that, but I, myself, am bubbling over to share adventures with your child from a home full of love, respect, and unbridled joy. I am excited to share my own memories and to create new ones with your child. I excitedly await the shared moments of warmth, love, laughter, and joy as we grow together over a lifetime.
Education & Work
As a kid, I was passionate about giving voice to those who were unable to speak for themselves. As an adult, this has translated to getting a two master’s degrees, some certifications, and a Ph.D.. I am now using the knowledge I’ve gathered to build bridges between people, and to work towards system change to benefit underserved communities around the world. I have had the privilege of molding young minds, asking tough questions and influencing policy to better the health and wellbeing of millions of people. To this day, I am naturally curious, have a big travel bug, and love to experience the wonders of this world. I am always excited to listen to (and build with) people who may have had a different experience in life than I, while learning a bit from them and sharing in their worlds.
Quirks & Values
I’ve always held strong to a core mission and set of values. I live my mission every day, both through my work and in my personal life. But my values? They center on authentically approaching life, loving without ceasing and selfless giving, leading with discovery and experimentation, and finding joy daily to replenish the soul. I think this comes from the values I’ve learned from my village over time. I have always believed in showing up as you are and valuing authenticity instead of loving in spite of it.
If I were to share how others describe me:
- My former mentee (who has since come to see me as family) recently told me that one of the greatest lessons I’ve taught her is about friendship, loyalty, and coming as you are.
- My cousin (who also considers me as her sister), describes me as grounded and wise to my god sons, who see me as the “fun aunt”; and
- My mentor (and “other mother”) sees me as a thinker, dreamer with people-centered, actionable
tendencies.
I’m a bit quirky—a nerd musician who loves to explore. I’m a boot fanatic: boot season, or Fall as it is commonly known, is my favorite season. I’m also a bit of a stationery nerd (I like writing letters with cool pens and old school inkwells), cooking unique recipes, and listening to old jazz, salsa, and soul music on records. I am a trained vocalist, play a few instruments, and in every chance I get, I lose myself in the hardwood of a dance floor (especially when I teach community dance classes in Afro-Cuban body movement). I love finding similarities in difference, having meaningful conversations with passionate people about their dreams and finding ways to turn them into reality.
Before I Go
One of the first lessons I learned as a mom is that selflessness is part of the work, even when the situation is bittersweet. Thank you for being selfless in considering this decision, for having the courage to read this profile, and for searching for the person(s) you will choose to extend your village. I am so grateful for your consideration in the midst of all of this.
Please know that I leave the invitation open to evolving communication with you over time—to setting a plan, taking it one day at a time, or staying in touch with you about how to grow and mold the relationship you’d like to have with your child. As you would like, I look forward to setting aside for you photographs and details of the moments and milestones in your child’s growth, and to holding the evolving relationship between us as sacred.
While this is the end of the profile, it is only “bye-bye” for this moment. You could, under no circumstances, ever be forgotten. This is just the beginning.
Always,
Andréa (Dréa)
