Connecting with other parents connected through adoption

I read back through my prayer journal today. I have only had this particular journal for two weeks. I’ve been quite faithful; writing in it almost every day. Reading back through I was hoping to gain some kind of insight into where I’ve been or where I am going in my head on this journey. It was glaringly clear what an up and down battle I am fighting in my head every day. One day I will end the day feel grateful for everything I have; my husband, my two birth children, our home, our families, our health. The very next day I am sounding desperate for some symbol of hope that the wait list will move. The next day all I can write is one sentence affirming that it will all work out, needing to write it down because I truly don’t believe it at that moment. The next day I’m bargaining….what can I do? what should I do? what do I need to do? Then back to hopeful and grateful. Everyday, no matter what is going on at the end of the day when it is quiet in my house and all the “things to do” are done, it is all I can think about and pray about….just please let this happen. I feel like a broken record. I feel stuck in the midst of motion…like I am paused.

Still in the waiting place, I have found a silver lining; connecting with other parents who are linked to adoption. I have joined an adoption support group in Broomfield. We had our first meeting last month. It was wonderful to talk with parents who are either in the process of adopting or who are raising their children that were adopted. It was fun to connect with people who understand where we are and why we want to be here. One of the families adopted their daughter from China. It took them three years to get her, but here she is, beautiful and loving and the light of their lives. Hearing their story gave me hope.

Two days after our adoption support group meeting we had our third adoptive parenting class. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that I was not looking forward to these classes, but now that our last one is coming up I am sad that we will no longer have these monthly meetings. It is certainly not because I like to sit in an uncomfortable chair for 5 hours. Rather because between the teaching are moments where we can connect not only with parents who are also adopting, but they are also adopting through IAN, from Ethiopia, right now. They are on the same lists as we are and are struggling with many of the same things – frustrations with government changes, paperwork, and “the list”.

Connecting with other parents in the world of adoption has been medicine for my soul these last few weeks. I look forward to the day when we are getting together because we all have children adopted from the same orphanage. Unfortunately our agency doesn’t seem to have the resources to organize regular get-togethers after these classes are done. I think I might volunteer to be the organizer. It’s what I’m naturally good at anyway :)