Busy Week

I hadn’t blogged in awhile because we have been way busy at home. We were caring for a newborn who went to his forever family last night. Adoption is one of those things that can be so full of joy while at the same time so full of pain. As the birth family is saying goodbye and dealing with their loss (which IS very painful), the adoptive family is joyfully welcoming their newest member home. I witnessed this occur last night in my home as the birth mother said her goodbyes. I can’t even imagine what she was feeling, her pain was so palpable. I know she was trying to capture him in her memories. She took a lot of photos and she left him gifts and a letter to his new family. When she was finished saying her goodbyes we called the adoptive family who came right over, even though it was late and the drive was long. I know the excitement of bringing home a child. And last night I saw the adoptive family do the same thing the birth mother did. Take lots of photos. The adoptive family was trying to capture every nuance of the moment because for them it was so full of joy. These two families, one suffering and the other joyful, share that small boy and the incredible amount of love they both have for him. For those who associate adoption with abandonment (for the birth family) and/or distain (for the adoptive family) it’s hard for me to image that those interpretations would survive the moment of transfer.