“I was under the Christmas tree! I was a present!”
That’s how our youngest son, LilBit, describes how he came to live with our family as a baby in December 2009.
When asked where he was born, his reply is: “I was born in Mexico!”
Our LilBit is Hispanic and when I saw his beautiful blue eyes look into mine that December afternoon, I didn’t see a child that was “different” – I saw a baby that needed parents that could keep him safe.
As his foster care case became more complicated, we became extremely vocal foster parents, hiring an attorney and intervening in a placement with a relative – a Hispanic relative. Strangely enought, LilBit’s birthmother wanted her baby to stay with our family; however, against her wishes, all the other parties involved LilBit’s case believed that he should be raised with his Hispanic relatives because “he needs his culture.”
We were judged for being too white to adopt a Hispanic child!
At one point, we even had someone involved in his case say to me: “You can tell by looking at him that he’s not yours.” {I disagree.}
This person’s narrow mind and judgement offended me!
Eventually, the birthmother’s voice was heard, and LilBit officially joined our family on National Adoption Day in 2011.
Adoptive families can feel judged for a variety of reasons: they don’t look alike, their families are too large, etc.
But what others have to remember is that adoption is NOT about what a family looks like:
Adoption is about LOVE!
On this National Adoption Day, I join Similac to support families that have found one another through adoption!
For every want-to-be parent longing to love, there’s a child waiting to be loved. Here’s to the ones who’ve found each other. And the ones who will. #NationalAdoptionDay #SisterhoodUnite
Posted by Similac US on Saturday, November 21, 2015
Disclosure: I am honored to partner with Similac and join the #SisterhoodUnite campaign to stop judgement against other moms and show support instead.
