Breaching New Frontiers: Adoption Retreat

This weekend I will be flying out to Columbus, OH to be part of an adoption retreat hosted by the Dave Thomas Foundation and organized by Susan Silverman, a Rabbi, and her organization Second Nurture.

To say I am excited is an understatement. Over the past eight years, I have been touched by adoption in various ways, from thinking about and considering adoption, experiencing a failed adoption, adopting twins in a domestic adoption and then later parenting them in addition to a biological child. Over the years I have talked to countless couples offering support, sharing information and resources and sometimes just being a symbol of hope. My place in this community has given me an identity in addition to the other roles I play.

So, when Rabbi Silverman reached out to talk about Second Nurture and mentioned the retreat in passing, I was intrigued. I jumped at the opportunity to be part of it and within a day, plans were in place.

This retreat will be the first time I am part of the larger community, my voice will be a small part of what fashions outreach and hopefully community building. This is new territory for me and I am excited and scared.

I will be spending a little over two days sharing my experience, listening to all members of the triad and brainstorming ways to support families and couples thinking about foster adoption. Most importantly, I hope to walk away with the feeling that I can parent my children better, be more of an ally to the community I am part of and extend support to those who may seek it.

I have had a sneak peek into the people who will be attending and I can’t wait to meet them. There are a few I have been following online for a while and it should suffice to say I am fangirling hard.

I will share my thoughts as and when I can while I am away. If you are someone who has a connection to adoption and has specific questions, please feel free to use the contact me page to send me a private note.