I didn’t expect my adoption post this month to be centered around the news of a funeral. But as I’ve processed the passing of my daughter’s birth grandma last week, there’s no better way to advocate for adoption right now. We met Ms. Linda shortly after we adopted Mae. She helped care for the child […]
Read MoreI wasn’t there when she took her first breaths of air, when the vibrations of her vocal chords sounded the alarm she was cold, hungry or tired. I didn’t see the nurses wipe her off, nor the fresh ink from a tiny footprint dry. I wasn’t one of the many people in the room who […]
Read MoreWhen I transitioned out of my full-time role in May, one big goal was to visit a few family members at their homes. My brother and his family live in Iowa, and some of my extended family members live in Nebraska. So we found a week that worked for everyone, I planned a route and […]
Read More“You guys got here at just the right time – some are already starting to fade.” I looked across the field of sunflowers, a beautiful blanket of yellow petals stood tall thanks to sturdy green stalks covering the land. Like a fuzzy blanket hovering over the acreage, contrasting beautifully with the green leaves and blue […]
Read MoreI seriously feared Mae would be a teenager who didn’t know how to use a spoon or straw. Instead of being teased over acne or the uniqueness of her name – I thought my child would be the one sitting in the middle of the lunch room unable to sip on soup or scoop up […]
Read MoreLadies and gents, my girl has made it through 1st grade! As summer hits, and as an enneagram 1 mom, I can’t help but set some summer goals. I’ll let your mind wander and guess what it was like to get a 7-going-on-17-year-old to sit down on her last day of school and set summertime […]
Read More“Mama, why was I adopted?” The weight of her question barely registered as my mind focused on the invisible checklist that appears every time I exit the car: Purse – check. Wallet – check. Keys – check. Cell phone- Dang it – where’s my cell phone? In a flurry of my own activity, I nearly […]
Read MoreAs we followed the hostess through the restaurant, I was so distracted, I forgot to look for the big tank with the live lobsters. Even at 34 years old, I’m still not sure if people have told me the truth all these years – the lobsters in the tank at Red Lobster are just one […]
Read More“White girls on the bus told me my bad skin was black and another mixed girl said her skin was lighter and her hair was better, and that mine looked like a cat’s fur ball or poop.” That’s the top story from my daughter’s day at school. She drug her feet and nearly missed the […]
Read MoreIt was 2010. In the few months prior to the life-changing car ride my husband and I took passing fields upon fields to southern Missouri, I felt like I’d swum to the bottom of the ocean and was just coming up for air. For many months, I’d become familiar with the darkness of loss. I’d […]
Read More