One of the positives of my open adoption is that it has given me a voice that I didn’t know that I had before. I was breezing through life when I became pregnant with Charlie. After I made my adoption plan and placed Charlie for adoption, I quickly realized what was important in life, what things really matter. I began to get my priorities straight. I think placing Charlie for adoption made me grow up and become a more responsible, mature adult.

As a result of becoming a birthmother, I began to long for others like me, for other birthmothers to talk to. Once I found other birthmothers to talk with and felt some acceptance, I felt ready to move forward in my life. I slowly began becoming involved in the adoption community. It was a gradual process, writing a poem here or a short article there, posting in the forums, and just getting to know other birthmothers.

After testing the waters a bit, I decided to dive in head first, with the creation of BirthMom Buds and with that, I’d found my passion. My passion became connecting with other birthmothers, with letting them know that they were not alone, that there was someone out there who understood many of the thoughts and feelings they were experiencing.

I felt total acceptance and love from the other birthmothers I was connecting with and they gave me the courage to swim out even further into the adoption community. I began getting to know adoptive parents. I was curious to know how they felt and what they thought. And from there it just continued.

I became confident in sharing my adoption story with others inside the adoption community as well as adoption professionals, and sometimes even with those outside of the adoption community. I found my writing voice and began writing about adoption. I’d found my voice and a purpose and that has definitely been a positive and rewarding thing that has led to some awesome opportunities like writing here, speaking at the South Carolina Counsel for Adoptable Children Conference last year, and sharing my adoption story in All You magazine just to name a few!

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Other Positives in my NaBloPoMo Series:
1. Positive: Visits
2. Positive: My Relationship with Charlie's Adoptive Parents
3. Positive: Moments I haven't Missed
4. Positive: No Searching


Photo Credit: Coley Strickland, speaking at the SC Adoption Conference