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The Greatest Gift

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This past Friday I attended the Domestic Adoption Orientation with adoptive parents who are anticipating adopting domestically. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to understand this side of the adoption process, learning about the application, the process, the creation of their "View Book" which is used by the birth moms to choose their child's family. Being new to the process, like the adoptive parents, I feel I got to experience a little bit of what they were experiencing: the emotions, the questions, the fears, and the worries.

One of the most interesting thoughts I am coming away with, is this: the birth parents are giving the adoptive parents the greatest gift they will ever receive. I'm sure many people have had that thought before, however, not being a parent myself, this idea was so novel. This got me to thinking of how brave and courageous these birth mothers are. They are choosing to give up parts of their life (comfort, security, time, schooling, living a normal life) for 9 months of their life, so that their child will have a better life. They choose to lay aside their lives for 9 months, so their child may have life.

I do want to thank these women today. Their courage and sacrifice is not recognized enough, and because of their bravery, a child gets the opportunity to live. Humans have the ability to achieve significant amounts of greatness...and who knows what greatness that life has in store.

-Sheryl Roberts
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  1. AnonymousJanuary 20, 2010 at 11:30 AM

    The birth mom panel is amazing at bringing home the sacrifice this heroic women are making.

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 20, 2010 at 2:25 PM

    Great post Sheryl! So glad you were able to experience orientation and came away with some kind of understanding as to what our birthmoms are sacrificing! I hope potential adoptive parents came away with the same thoughts!!!

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