Category: Adoption
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Christmas came and went
I’ve been sick. My mind has been hazy. And in such a context, I have a hard time trusting my words. They can go either way: crisp insights or messy emotional ramble. Before Christmas Eve I reached out to the jurist, to thank him for his lifeline of availability and generosity in communicating with us,…
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A glimpse into adoption
On a whim, we left our kids with their grandparents and went overnight up in the mountains, to talk about our vision and plans to create an adoption community here in Cluj. [I sense a discomfort in our communities (leaders and otherwise) to even mention this loaded word. Adoption. Is it out of shame (for…
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Like the watchmen before dawn
It’s cold. We are exhausted. But I am filled with renewed hope. The icy waves crush into the shore. We squint to see a sign of light into the sea of darkness. The wind is howling. It’s deafening and mesmerizing all at once. I love a howling wind in a winter night. How long till…
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What was hard during the first adoption
⁃ traveling back and forth twice a day ⁃ 3-4 hours in the car with a carsick child ⁃ Taking her back to the foster family in the evening, and hear her cry after us to not leave her ⁃ Mandatory Medical appointments for the adoption file – she is afraid of hospitals. ⁃ Physical…
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Two years
Two years since we started exploring adoption again Preparing Jackie, Observing her disposition and openness. Again, Conrad was ready first. Decisive. I stood my ground in prayer: To keep my mind and heart open To be patient and strong To walk the bureaucratic steps To put my trust in God And to adapt to the…
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Doi ani
Doi ani de cand am tatonat iar terenul adopției Pregătind-o pe Jackie, Cercetându-i dispoziția și deschiderea. Dar hotărârea a rămas a noastră. Din nou Conrad a fost gata întâi. Hotărât. Eu am rămas cu ruga: Să-mi țin mintea și inima deschisă Să am răbdare și putere Să parcurg pașii birocratici, Să-mi pun încredrea în Dumnezeu…
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Rough parenting week
After Jackie twisted her elbow, we went spiraling down into emotional arrhythmia. We have had a pretty good streak before. Even that day, the day of the twisting, we went on a long hike in the woods with good friends, their kids and their dogs. It was cold but memorably good. We hiked for miles.…
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Retrospective – half a decade
5 years ago exactly, we took a leap of faith and we moved to Romania. A few suitcases full of our earthly belongings, but a heart full of courage and a mind full of dreams. I had to go away first, across the ocean, far from my comfort zone and familiar culture. To intertwine our lives…
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A way through the wilderness
Two months ago I went to a meeting with a large number of families “in-waiting”. Single people and couples certified to adopt, waiting to be matched with an adoptable child. At the time, there were no kids in process of becoming adoptable. The week before I had caused some waves, documented on this blog, as…
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About trauma, gratitude and freedom
Lately, there is a lot of talk about trauma in the adoption environment. And it is good, because the subject has been silent for too long. Trauma is diverse, and everyone perceives it, lives and processes it differently. I’m not speaking from a professional point of view, but intuitively, as a human living among humans.…
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Summit-ul ARFO 2019
O călătorie la București este întotdeauna copleșitioare. Am încercat să găsesc orice scuză bună pentru a nu merge la #ARFO2019, fără succes însa. Așa că m-am dus. Nu știam pe nimeni acolo. Am discutat la telefon cu organizatorii conferinței ARFO, și am simțit că trebuie să îi cunosc personal. Am fost atrasă de acest summit…
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Despre traumă
Se vorbește mult despre trauma in mediul adopției. Si bine se face, pentru ca prea s-a tăcut pana acum. Trauma e diversa, si fiecare o percepe, o trăiește si o procesează altfel. Nu vorbesc dintr-un punct de vedere certificat profesional, ci intuitiv, ca om care a trăit intre oameni. Si ca părinte adoptiv care încearcă…