@persephonemag / persephonemag.tumblr.com
The other day my daughter shared some letters she had written to each member of her family, including one to her birth mother, who is dead, and one to me. The letter to me was heartfelt and said how much she loved me. The letter to her birth mother, which she wanted me to read, said that my daughter would always love her birth mother the most. I told her it was OK that her birth mother has first…
I adopted my two children from Ethiopia four years ago. Since then, I have developed a network of friends who have adopted internationally, and they have been invaluable as resources and sounding boards. (more…)
The Superbowl has come and gone, but the hilarity of Key & Peele’s Richard Sherman & Marshawn Lynch interview sketch lives on forever. (more…)
Recently, I came across a GoFundMe for a middle-class family of six that was adopting five siblings from an emerging nation. Their friends and members of their church had set up the fund to help them, and the writeup was gushing about how selfless and wonderful the family was to do that. It was an inspiration. (more…)
I am fortunate to have pictures of my children when they were first taken from their family, before we came together through adoption. They are not easy to look at. My son is little more than a baby. He is tiny for his age, but the expression on his face is not childish. He is enraged, his brow furrowed. Even in the pictures where he is crying, his face is contorted with fury and pain. Without…
This is not a “how to do it” article. There are literally hundreds of resources online that tell people how to begin the process of finding a child who was placed for adoption. This is a “how to think about it” article, because trust me when I say that you need to have thought about this very carefully. (more…)
Pupdate: March 1, 2014 – ADOPTION EDITION! Asher is living it up at his new mom's house, and he's won the forever home lottery.
Just as surely as Tuesday follows Monday, any time infertility is mentioned in an article on the Internet, a “why don’t people just adopt? JEEZ.” comment (or a dozen such comments) will appear. (more…)
10-Second Anecdotes That Reveal Too Much About Me
Quick! Here’s a few speedy stories to help you get to know me.
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How I Met My Daughter
I gave up my daughter for adoption more than a quarter century ago, when I was a teenager. It was a…
Out of the Corner of My Eye: What Having a Daughter of a Different Race Has Taught Me About Racism
Sometimes I am aware of racism directed at my daughter. There are small things that I think I pick…
Dr. Frank L. Cat, M.D.
A kitten showed up in our backyard last week. My husband found him sticking his nose into our cat…
So, You Have a Question About My Choice of International Adoption
I tend to be pretty polite when people ask me about international adoption. I assume that people…
So You Are Considering International Adoption: What You Should Know
Several years ago, my husband and I adopted two children from an African country. I am a researcher…
