@therapyredeemed

Are there more gracious ways for us to frame this process of "building" families? Many individuals and organizations reading this right now are most likely on that path, actually, and to you all I say yes, amen, let’s continue on that journey together. I’ve been sitting on an email from Easter Child Welfare for months. The one where I asked to find my mom in Korea again, the one where they said her phone number is out of service (or it no longer exists) and I’d have to resubmit a pile of paperwork that I’ve already filled out before. Between all the things going on in my life, I simply didn’t have the physical/emotional bandwidth to get it done. However, over the holiday season I’ve had some time to step back and recharge a bit; reorienting my mind and heart in the midst of my search and pursuit of reconnection. With a plan to finally complete the paperwork, one idea that has become more clear to me is the language of adoption matters. This of course doesn’t describe *all* adoption scenarios. I’m putting this out there today to anyone currently on the path toward adopting a child, who’s considering how to think and speak about everyone involved. “Considering relinquishment?” asks an adoption agency website. I can’t imagine being in that position; what I do know is the journey back to her (the mother who placed me for adoption) isn’t so simple and I wonder if there’s a way to prevent future adoptees (and their mothers) from having to deal with such complexities in their story. Who gets to decide who’s brave and loving? And are there ways to attribute those qualities to a person without separating them from the ones they would dare to love? I think there are. And yes, let’s please continue working on that together. #happynewyear #backtowork #adoption #adoptionawareness #adoptionjourney #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #birthfamily #birthmother #birthsearch #adoptee #adoptees #adopteestories #internationaladoption #transracialadoption #dearadoptee #adopteetoadoptee #dearadoption #traumaandrecovery #languagematters #internationaladoptee #transracialadoptee #adoptionreform #familypreservation #flipthescript #therapyredeemed