I rejoice in Adoption!

Just spoke of the phone with a friend who has been matched with a baby girl due in a few weeks. There is nothing the world of a waiting adoptive parent that matches the feeling of being chosen to adopt a baby. It changes your world, your perspective on life, your perspective on humanity and instantly fills you with uncontainable(is that a word) gratitude both to the birth mother, father and family and to God who loves you so very much and has heard all those prayers you've sent up to Him desiring to welcome another child into your home. Questions race through your mind: How can one trust me, us, enough to allow us to raise their precious child? Will this really happen? Will I finally(for first time parents) or once again become a parent after waiting so long? Am I really going to be the recipient of such a joyful event when it will cause so much pain for the birth mother, father and family? How do I celebrate my joy and help mourn their sorrow? What do I need to buy? Do I really get to choose a name for a baby after dreaming about it for so long? What can I do to help my other children prepare? Am I really so lucky and blessed to be chosen to parent this child? Will this really happen? Am I letting myself get too excited to have it not work out?

These last two question run through your mind until after placement and the paperwork is signed. It's not meant as distrust of the birth family and their commitment to place. It's just that you've waited so long, often had an adoption or maybe two that didn't work out, and you just don't want to get so excited and then have the bottom fall out. You want to rejoice and begin to live the fulfillment of your dream, but until the paperwork is signed, you never let yourself really, fully, truly, believe it all will happen. And after the paperwork is signed, you don't shout with joy because you are still in awe at the experience you just had. You just experienced the ultimate act of love on behalf of your child and your family as his or her amazing birthmother chose to give them a life with you. It's an awesome responsibility. It's an amazing gift. It's the happiest sad (to quote a birthmom blog I read)! Having been through the experience four times, I still cry as I type this because it's an experience that is special, sacred and not one that got any easier each time.

I'm truly an adoption advocate and addict. I love adoption stories. I love sharing in the joy of adoption and also the challenges as well. I loved hearing my friend's news, it sparked this post, and I can't wait to "fully" rejoice with her when her baby comes home in a few weeks.