Back in December, when my family and I were out trying to squeeze in some last minute Christmas shopping, I had a repeat of an uneasy sort of experience that I do run into every now and again. We were all in the Gymboree store (gosh I love that place) and the kids were all watching the little television they have set up playing the educational dvds that they sell, when a sweet little African American toddler joined them.

My own kids are sometimes like puppies and they can bounce all over a new person with the excitement of wanting to know them. That is... more

Although the goings on in the small Louisiana town of Jena recently may not appear at first glance to directly have anything to do with adoption, or even open adoption, I urge you to take a closer look. This case where six African American students have suffered extreme injustice, while white students have for all intents and purposes walked free, lays bare the root of the racial issues still vastly ignored (by whites) in our nation. Those who have crossed this invisible line through... more

I usually think of the elderly as kind, gentle spirits, and most of them certainly are, but today I received a little reminder that sometimes an old mind can be a catacomb for old ideas, perceptions and hate from the past. Our family had a subtle, yet no less hurtful, racist encounter this afternoon thanks to a seemingly harmless elderly couple.

Today, after dropping off our oldest for a visit with her grandparents, my husband and I took our younger two out for a treat of ice cream in our small (and often backwards) midwest town. As we went into... more

I found this old, rather interesting postcard picture the other day, and initially I thought it had something to do with adoption. The picture, from 1913, is in fact a political satire about the current, moral issues of the time. The “Col. Roastwell” refers to President Theodore Roosevelt, and the artwork speaks to his favoring of immigration and large families. Some also attribute the comical drawing to the very real issues of oppression and human rights, in relation to immigrants, former slaves, and women. Obviously people also did not like immigration... more

Honestly some days I think I must have a huge pile of insurmountable stuff going on that makes my family life feel like anything but normal. We have all the regular family concerns of course, but when you add in all the adoption/ special needs/ birthfamily/ transracial family issues it can begin to feel more than a little isolating at times. It becomes easy to believe that if you were just doing something more like someone else (you know the ones who seems to have it all together) then life would be great, maybe even manageable.

I... more

After watching a town hall episode of Oprah today, aired in response to the recent events surrounding Don Imus and his derogatory remarks about the female Rutgers basketball team, I wanted to address this issue of race and our culture. I am mother of a black son, this issue is one that holds an immense amount of importance for me. I am also a white, adoptive mother who is only just beginning to see the multi-layered issues involving race that still so deeply divides not only white and black... more