by kindred | Aug 18, 2015 | Uncategorized
I am an author. I work successfully in my field. I am a mommy to three precious angels who have blessed my life since the seconds they entered it. I am a wife to a man who makes a difference in this world, every day. But before all of this, I was a child, and for a time, a child in need of a family. I was a child in care. God bless those who open their hearts and homes in the most selfless and giving of ways to those that deserve it most — our children. I say, “our children,” because that is what children in care become. When children must leave the homes they were born into, for a matter of months or permanently they become our wards. You do not have to be a foster parent for this to be true. I am responsible, you are responsible, our nation is responsible for these children. The way the least of us is treated, IS a reflection on us and our society. In the U.S. alone, close to 400,000 children are living without permanent families in the foster care system. Over 100,000 of them are eligible for adoption, but nearly 32% will wait over three years in foster care before being adopted. Every child deserves love. Every child deserves a home and a family. And along the way, what is often a hard and troubled way, these children deserve hugs, their own pillow and their own undergarments. They deserve a place to put their things that is not a big black garbage bag. They deserve support, praise, security...
by kindred | Aug 11, 2015 | Uncategorized
We are Doug and Margaret. We met in 1999 in a writing class and then got married in 2001. Doug and I like to travel. We have been to Asia, Central America, Europe, and all over the U.S. In 2005, we became parents to Liam, a bright, amazing, sensitive, and caring boy. He has joined us on many of our travels, but by far parenting has been our favorite adventure to date. We live in Seattle in a spacious house with a yard and a garden. We have a cat named Jay and a fish named Steve. Doug is software engineer by day and a fiction writer by night. I (Margaret) am a former theatre artist who now works part-time as a nurse and stays home with our son. When we decided to pursue adoption to grow our family, the metaphor of being on a journey felt right to us because we are a family that likes to travel and experience new things. Being on this adoption journey has challenged us to grow and learn in many ways. Throughout the process, we are often asked questions about how and why we chose this journey. We wanted to share our story. Doug and I have always wanted to have at least 2 children. I grew up as an only child, and while it had its benefits I always wanted a sibling. I promised myself that when I had children I would have at least 2 children. I’ve seen how special the relationship can be between people who grew up in the same family. Having a sibling can not only make...
by kindred | Aug 4, 2015 | Uncategorized
Over the weekend, I had the privilege of spending my time at a retreat with a group of birth parents who had come together for a couple of days of healing, reflection, and fun. Many of these birth parents succeeded in completing a ropes course—if you’re unfamiliar, imagine being suspended by a harness and rope high in the air and then being required to scale trees or zip through the forest along a cable. Many of the participants in this weekend’s retreat chose to openly share their story of how they made an adoption plan in a group of almost-strangers. In my opinion, though, none of this reflects the bravest successes of these birth parents. I am a Pregnancy Counselor with Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains and work with clients who are faced with unplanned pregnancies. Some of my clients choose to make adoption plans, just like the birth parents with whom I spent my time this weekend. Many people have ideas (or, um, judgments) about who birth parents are. Let me tell you: they are a diverse bunch, just like the rest of us. They are students, parents, rock climbers, chefs, housekeepers, photographers. They are also inmates, addicts, and people stuck in a downward spiral. Every birth parent is different, just like the rest of us. Nonetheless, one common characteristic of every birth parent I have encountered is their courage. First of all, admitting your own barriers to parenthood takes enough courage to fill a room. And then, to consider the alternatives to parenthood takes a whole different level of bravery. It is a process that requires maturity...
