I can’t believe it’s already November! As a kid this was never my favorite month, secretly, I wished we could just skip from Halloween to Christmas. It’s not that I didn’t like Thanksgiving, but it certainly didn’t have the flair for me that the other two surrounding holidays had and the weather was always gross this time of year in Southeastern Idaho. But as I’ve grown, this month has become one of my all time favorites.

It’s not just because I’ve experienced better weather for Thanksgiving. And it’s not just because I’ve really enjoyed cooking my own Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends. It’s because it’s a month of reflection and thanks for me. Appropriately so, it has been selected as the month of the year to honor adoption too.

Many people don’t know that November is “National Adoption Awareness Month” so I like to share the news however I can. When I lived in Idaho I wore a special pin on my coat and when people asked about it I’d explain why I was wearing it. Well, in Arizona I don’t need a coat but now I have a blog. *wink* So this month I’ll be sharing more thoughts, experiences and writings on the subject.

I wanted to get this post up by the 1st, but last week really ran me over for tasks. I’m hoping to get in front of the 8 ball this week. So for my first adoption post, I want to share some of the first letter I received from our daughter’s birthmother after we found out she’d selected us. I have chosen this experience to share because this was my introduction to motherhood and that, my friends, is definitely at the top of my list of things I’m thankful for.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Holly and Blake,

Thank you so much for your letters. I cannot begin to share with you the peace I have felt the moment after seeing your pictures and reading your letters. I know with all of my heart that you are the couple selected by Heavenly Father to receive this baby. I do not even doubt for one minute what wonderful parents you will be.

On the day I selected you I tried to imagine you receiving the phone call that would change your life forever. I did not feel sad that day but I felt so much joy for you. I know my decision to place this baby for adoption is the right thing to do. At the beginning of my pregnancy the father of the baby tried to talk me into having an abortion but I would not even consider it. We both decided that marriage was not possible for us. So I suggested that adoption would be the best thing.

For the longest time I pitied myself on how hard it would be to give my child away to strangers, but one night I realized that I was partly being selfish because there are thousands of couples that cannot have children of their own for one reason or another that pray to Heavenly Father every night for some way, somehow to please send them a child. And then I realized I could make this dream come true for some people. And now you are that couple. I hope that my decision will fulfill all of your dreams. I cannot begin to imagine all of the heartache that you have experienced with not being able to have children of your own. But now you know that your heartache is finally over.

Holly, I found it so neat that you and I have so many of the same interests. I truly love to sing and have enjoyed so much to be able to be involved in theatre. I hope in the future we will be able to discuss this in more detail.

Blake, I look forward to learning what your interests and hobbies are. From what I know about you, you sound a lot like my father. He also works with computers.

I am open to any questions you may have and I will have many for you in return. I look forward to many more letters from you.

My deepest love,
Monica
~~~~~~~~~~~~
And just in case you’re wondering, yes, she really is this wonderful.

Technorati Tags:
Family Adoption Relationships Motherhood