Our stories are unique but they have the power to connect people from all walks of life, especially in adoption. We all have a story to tell, and sharing our story with others is powerful. Brené Brown, a well-known author and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work said, “Owning...
Father’s Day can be a day that some men look forward to for many years in the journey to grow their family. As with Mother’s Day, this can be a difficult day for those who wish to be a father, but have been unable to do so for a variety of reasons. We want to...
When thinking about the word “adoption”, the phrase “ambiguous loss” is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Adoption is a beautiful, loving and selfless choice, but we cannot deny that it involves loss for all parties involved. Birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted persons may have conflicting feelings about the loss they...
Many families feel called to adopt; they feel God’s hand leading them to explore and pursue the adoption process. In some situations, a family’s adoption journey may end without ultimately adopting a child. Ending in that way may feel like they have failed. We may wonder, “If a family feels led to adopt, but adoption...
That first Mother’s Day after I placed my daughter for adoption was the hardest for me. I remember going to church and dreading the moment the pastor would ask all the mothers to stand and be acknowledged for Mother’s Day. I struggled with the decision to stand or remain seated. My arms held no baby,...
This year, National Infertility Awareness Week is April 19-25th. Infertility is a common experience. “In the United States, among married women aged 15 to 49 years with no prior births, about 1 in 5 (19%) are unable to get pregnant after one year of trying (cdc.gov).” At New Life Adoptions, we work with many couples...
Unknown (adjective): not known; not within the range of one’s knowledge, experience, or understanding; strange; unfamiliar. We see it every time we go on social media, check our email, or turn on the news. There are a lot of unknowns in our world right now. We are living in this perpetual state of waiting, not knowing...
As an Expectant Parent Social Worker at New Life Adoptions, I support expectant and birth parents throughout the adoption process. I am always looking for valuable resources to offer additional support to those I am working with. When I heard about a local organization called Bellis, I wanted to learn more, so I started attending...
We hear a lot about attachment when it comes to parenting, especially adoptive parenting. What is attachment? While it’s easy to confuse attachment and bonding, attachment refers to a child’s emotional connection to his/her parents, and bonding refers to the parents’ feelings and connection to the child. Attachment is the deep and enduring emotional bond that connects...
When I found out I was pregnant, I was 22 years old and a sophomore in college. I never thought that this was something that would happen to me, and I was terrified about what the next year of my life would bring. Despite my fear, I felt peace. I had been living a destructive...
