Through the journey of adoption, we have met many people along the way. Adoption counselors and social workers help us navigate this uncharted territory and bring clarity to many different aspects of the process. But the best connections we make are always with other adoptive families and couples hoping to adopt. Day to day, few can truly understand exactly what it is we are going through. While everyone is incredibly supportive, those who are going through, or have gone through the process, have a different viewpoint. It is always refreshing to be able to talk candidly about the ups and downs of our journey, our fears, and our hopes and dreams for our future family. Two of our closest adoptive connections also do another thing for us—they remind us just how unpredictable this journey can be. Now that we're in the book, we wonder a lot. . . Is anyone looking at our profile? Is anyone interested in us as adoptive parents? Who is visiting our site? Are family and friends passing the word of our adoption along? What will our adoption story be? . . . and on and on . . . The questions are endless. And one of the most difficult aspects of this whole journey is that we'll never have any answers...until, one day, all of a sudden, we do.
And that is what these two families, in particular, remind us daily. The first family is the family of a college friend I've known for years. Their first adoption was over two years ago and happened literally overnight. While at work, a call came through saying that a mother in labor was considering them to parent her child and wanted to meet as soon as possible. That night, they were at the hospital for the birth of their son, and in a matter of days, they were home as a family of three. About a year and a half later, these same parents found themselves wondering when they would begin the journey to their second child, when they received a surprising phone call asking if they would consider parenting another little one. Weeks later, they were a family of four, with two rambunctious little boys only seventeen months apart.
The most recent adoption story speaks to the power of word of mouth. Also having adopted their first child just over two years ago, another family we met through adoption connections found themselves considering beginning the process again for adoption #2. However, they soon learned that the wait would not be as long as they may have first thought. A little over a month ago a friend of theirs went to dinner with a friend of hers. That friend ran into another friend who was trying to find a couple to place her baby through adoption. Long story short, they met with the couple a few times and the birth parents asked them to parent their baby girl. Weeks later, after a 2:00 a.m. trip to the hospital for the birth of their daughter, they headed home as a family of four!
There are countless more stories in the same vein, speaking to the promise and unpredictability of adoption. The stories are a powerful testament to just how word of mouth helps to form many families and how you have to be ready for anything. It is these very stories that we come to when the wait for our own little one gets tough. For the reality is that we won't know a thing, until all of a sudden, we do. No, the wait to build a family is not always easy. For us and others, the path can be an arduous one at times, full of twists and turns and days and nights of longing. Still, we stay incredibly positive. We hold close to one another and remind ourselves of what the future will bring. We find hope and promise in the beauty of others' stories and families. And we trust that the countless people who have shown us incredible support are continuing as our biggest champions—spreading the word of our adoption and cheering us on every step of the way.
To the families that were built and those that are just now growing through adoption: congratulations! To the couples waiting to build their family: we hope these stories restore you and your optimism on this journey. And to those who continually support us: the greatest thank you of all! You never know what might lead us to our family!
