When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write the ending.
~ Brene’ Brown
Brene’ Brown, author and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, has written much on the power of vulnerability and storytelling. Her writings and her Ted Talks encourage people to tell their story even when it’s hard, even when others may not understand. This resonates with me as I think of all of you and your unique stories of adoption.
Within the realm of social media, it is the power of stories that connect us. We all love a vulnerable, heartfelt story that inspires us, challenges us, or gets to the core of our humanity. In adoption, we often hear only the sensationalized stories or the adoptive family’s story of adopting and not the story of amazing love of a birth parent that is essential to building an adoptive family.
At New Life Adoptions, we recognize that behind every adoptive family, there is a birth parent who was vulnerable and who put the needs of their child before their own to make a difficult choice for the sake of their child. We recognize that even in 2018, a birth parent’s story is often misunderstood. It takes great courage for a birth parent to tell their story, and we don’t take this lightly. As Brene’ Brown says in her book, Rising Strong, “When we decide to own our stories and live our truth, we bring our light to the darkness.”
We also recognize that birth parents need ongoing support at times throughout their adoption journey. We offer support for you regardless of how long it has been since you made an adoption plan. We can help you navigate bumps in the road with the adoptive family, help you find national adoption resources, help you find adoption competent therapists in your area, or connect you with other birth parents.
Adoption and openness in adoption continue to change, especially in how it plays out with the help of technology. Yet, our goals in adoption remain the same – that some level of openness in adoption is a positive thing, and it is about building and maintaining a relationship for the sake of the child. For some of you, open adoption was not an option at the time of placement. Whether your adoption started with some openness or not, we are here to help you navigate your adoption relationships as things change in your life, the life of your child, and their adoptive family over the years.