“‘It typically takes days for an answer, but you don’t need to wait. She chose YOU!’ I broke down in tears. ‘You’re never going to believe it…we’re going to be parents!’ I’m an adoptee with an adopted African American daughter in a racially diverse family, but she is still my daughter. Love knows no boundaries.”
“We want to raise happy and kind kids who feel loved and appreciated in this world. Yelling makes your voice heard, but your message is silenced.”
“There was an ache in my chest as I waited for his return. My experienced hiker, my beloved husband, wasn’t answering my calls or texts. All of this life we loved together vanished in a moment.”
“We taught our kids, ‘Treat EVERYONE with kindness.’ All I wanted to do was hurt the person who hurt my family. But LOVE stepped in. People of all races came to show us love, to cry with us, to give us encouragement.”
“I was supposed to be the short-term shelter in the storm. I had no intentions of permanency. Dead-set on only taking one kiddo at a time, I got a second call. ‘Can you take in his newborn baby brother? He was born premature.’ Suddenly, all my ‘rules’ went out the window.”
“My mind raced. ‘Am I not doing enough for her? Am I limiting her desires too much?’ Her words made me realize something: I needed to put more effort into teaching my daughters about gratitude.”
“I used to watch ‘The Price is Right’ every morning. It was my jam. Today, I absolutely laugh at the idea. I barely have enough time to drink my espresso, much less sip on a mug of coffee for an hour.”
“I saw how her life would look: a single mom constantly working, wishing to provide nicer things, and a little girl wondering why her father didn’t want to be around. Then, the veil lifted. Both myself and the birth parents could complete her life’s ‘puzzle.’”
“Our son’s birth mom chose our family. He was handed to me and I was instantly in love. ‘Amanda, you’re pregnant.’ Our lives were changed forever.”
“This is the world I brought this miracle into. This should not be his first core memories. This should not be my 2-year-old’s life. He should be waving at strangers in the aisle, hugging other children in the toy section. And yet, this photo makes me extremely proud. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
