Ann Fessler and Me: Me, Celeste, Heather and Bernadette at the ACC 2007 Conference: Oh, you weren’t interested in seeing pictures form the American Adoption Congress Conference You were looking for reunion pictures?
Visit The Adoption Truth Store on Cafe Press Most of these, I created because I WANTED them and there was nothing else like it out there. There are a bunch more things there, as I just updated the store and had a tiny bit too much fun. Well, actually I moved it to a new one since they wouldn’t let me update the old one decently and THEN, I made a bunch…
It is amazing of course. He is amazing..of course. It is just as I know it will be. We are just hanging and out and talking like we are great close pals that have not see each other in…forever…but we know each other..even though we don’t. We have a lot of catching up to do. Nothing is an elephant. Nothing is taboo. It’s all good…our feelings so similar..how we take it in..same. We talk about it all…past his life my life parents, siblings…it just IS. We sit and list the same things about us…..our favorite foods, asking questions…marvel and degree Nature as the clear winner…kicking nurtures ASS big time. And yeah, we finish each others sentences…at least once…and what a doozie!!
It was funny..people were very “ohhhh” and “ahhh” over my going to met Max tomorrow. But surprised that I was just going alone to see him?? And they would ask, “who is going with you? Don’t you have support?” and I was like…yeah, I’m here..what else do I need?? I don’t need someone to hold my hand when I do it, though maybe a photographer would be cool, but I want to have the time to process it afterwards and have others be thrilled for me..so what better place than a adoption conference?
I should be more excited, but part of me is like..yeah, I am going to go met my son for the first time in 19 years like I do this every day..but part of me HAS done this everyday. I have thought about this and rehearsed this, I have fantasied and imagined and wondered and tried to feel it so much, that this time, even if it is real, feels like pretend again. Just another day dream, this time with a better more well written script.
I just cannot imagine what it will feel like to see my son again. I cannot begin to pretend to know how I shall react, if I cry, if I am calm, if I am just a loon…I just can’t imagine. I don’t feel prepared at all, yet, it is time I know for this chapter in adoption to close. There is not much I think that we could have done to be more “ready” for an face to face adoption reunion.
I will confess my initial desire was to remove this from the “most popular” front page line up. I don’t want to talk about this really. I don’t want to have to open myself up to be judged and have nasty comments said again, but then, I realized that my desire was out of shame and fear. Mostly shame; not shame that I had this abortion, but that the possible reactions I feared triggered possible shame.
I know that this is one of the reasons we have so many issues, legislative restrictions and lack of viable options when it comes to safe and legal abortion services in this country is because of that shame. Having an abortion is something we still speak of in hushed tones. Oh, granted, no one should be out celebrating and for the most part it is a private matter, so what other folks think about it shouldn’t matter, but even among friends, we whisper. So while, my gut says take this post down, I know I cannot. I owe it to the women who have gone before me who have died in back alleys and fought for our rights to have legal safe abortions and I owe it to the women who will come after me who will still need to have the right to have legal safe abortions if they so need to. I owe it to my daughter to know that we have to stand up and not be afraid to be counted even if others might be mean to us.
If you can recall when you called me on the phone at my home on my son, Max’s, 18th birthday, I inquired as the location and availability of the relinquishment forms and my records. As I had previously stated, I never did receive a copy of anything I signed at the time and did now desire to have a copy of my legal records.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Law Adoption Records Laws This is going out in the mail tomorrow!!! Oh a big fat juicy kiss goes out to Brandi… because she asked me a question on “contracts” in adoption relinquishment and go me working and digging on this… February 22, 2007 Amy XXXXXX Executive Director etc. Dear Amy, If you can recall when you called me on the phone at my home on my son, Max’s, 18th birthday, I…
It’s a bad time for us Tauruses. I mean, something is out of wack in the universe and I am really feeling it. Either that or 2007 is gonna be a doozie of a year. But I would rather chalk it up to a misalignment of planets. A few other of my Taurian counterparts have also suggested to me some bad emotional woes, so I know I am not alone….
So much for advanced notice! Here’s the linky: And remember…keep a look out for the absolute horror I was trying to hide when he freaks out and is sitting next to me going off on “where can I get a baby!” I beleive it might be funny. and then tell him …write the letters..how insane he acted!!
I contacted the reporter of this story: Families of pregnant runaways worried NATALIE ANDREWS – Daily Herald A week ago, three pregnant teens allegedly hit a 53-year-old woman with a frying pan, tied her up with electrical cords and ran away with her SUV, credit card and cell phone. Still on the run, the girls’ running away from the New Hope Maternity Home on Jan. 16 has become fodder for…
I am passing the following on as help is desperatly needed. Please feel free to pass this on to whatever blogs, lists, forums, etc…a flood of letters is very necessary. ************************ I really need help! The Bennett family desperately needs letters be written, preferably snail mail, if at all possible, and emails if nothing else. I am attaching addresses below, and I will bring you up to speed as much…
Essay in Rochester, NY local paper about the 95-10 Initiative (NYS) ——————————————————————————– From this morning’s Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Urge Abstinence, Adoptions (January 22, 2007) — Many analysts believe that despite the pro-choice gains netted by the Democratic Party in the 2006 election, that the election outcome was more a statement about our country’s dissatisfaction with the Iraq war than a referendum on abortion. Still, not one Democratic incumbent who…
So I am at work last night..and our hostess had a great book called “The Choices We Made”. It’s the stories of famous people who had abortions, faced an unplanned pregnancy, etc. We were taking turns reading about Whoopie Goldberg. So this of course, lead to us discussing adoption, and Raisa and I are in the middle of a discussion on how these people who claim “just give the baby…