Blog hopping I landed on a post that had Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford. To say I loved it was an understatement. A year back, I would have read the paragraph that talks about his adoption, thought ‘neat!’ to myself and would have gone on to focus on the rest of what he said. Now when I read it, I scour the words, trying to catch undertones, hidden meanings or other symbolism in how adoption affected his life. In some strange way, it suddenly feels personal. His story.
It’s just past the six month mark since we became a family, my daughters and I. It has been a lot of learning. I realize parents are born when children come into their lives. Trying to figure out the practical aspects of having another life dependent on you for basic needs is overwhelming at times and the zenith of happiness at others. I look at our fledgling family and see that none of us are related by blood well except for the twins and it makes me smile.
When I stumble onto other people who have chosen adoption as a means to build their family, I feel a connection. Something deeper than friendship. A shared understanding of what it means to choose to bring a child into their lives in that manner. An understanding born out of filling reams of paperwork and having our personal lives laid bare to strangers for them to inspect and certify.
I realize this is something I will hold on to for life. An invisible thread that binds me and other people touched by adoption. All three sides of it. I can never again read an adoption story and feel just one emotion. There will always be a part of me wondering how this same tale will be narrated by another member of the triad.
So, if like me you land on here and walk away knowing what it feels like, know that you are not alone. We are bound by this thread.
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