Journey to Global Community
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.When you’re 9 years old and a girl, I suppose being an emotional wreck is to be expected. Ah, heck. When you’re 37 years old and girl, I suppose being an emotional wreck is to be expected. But sometimes, it’s hard to know which 9-year-old wrecks are I Stubbed My Toe And That’s A Great Excuse To Let Go Of The Emotional Mess Smouldering Inside Me, and which wrecks are Real. Yeah, yeah. I know they’re all real. But the Real … [Read more...]
Samuel has been asking us for a blue mohawk for about six months. We used spray, but he was adamant about using a less temporary color on his hair. Brian and I were on the fence about it, so I decided to pose the question to our Facebook page and received an overwhelming number of helpful and thoughtful responses. In the end, I sat down with Samuel and had a talk with him about why he wanted blue hair. All of his answers expressed his imagination and … [Read more...]
This guest post was written by Grace Showalter. Although the views and opinions presented here may or may not necessarily be the same as “I Am Not the Babysitter”, we appreciate and respect the educated opinions of all mothers. Dr. Jane Aronson, the "Orphan Doctor" is an invaluable asset to the international adoptive community. There is no doubt that her expertise in pediatric medicine for internationally adopted children has literally saved lives. Her work with the Worldwide … [Read more...]
We are framing this photo for Samuel, taken by Kyle LaMere in Ethiopia, September 2012. Under the photo will be Maya Angelou's "Love Liberates" quote. How beautifully she sums up the importance and love of the birth mother and family. How true love frees; it does not enslave. Someone once said, "Children need two things: One is roots and the other is wings." I know Samuel's birth mother was strong enough to provide our son with wings. Now our prayer is that together we can provide him with … [Read more...]
Today, as I fly to Houston to raise awareness for phase 2 of our water project with Waves for Water, I will be thinking about my friend Laura, and her family. Laura has reminded us what mothers really are at war with. Mothers around the world are fighting daily to preserve the health and wellbeing of their families. This is what the world should be outraged about. This is the true "mommy war." There is so much we can do. "The Brightest Light . . ." Letter from Laura … [Read more...]
It looks as though I’ve contracted malaria along with a couple of other things. Another of our Ethiopia team members also developed malaria and a host of other maladies. Please pray for his recovery and medical treatment. It was pretty cool coming back to the kids having a blast while I was away. It is so funny - the misconception that babywearing and breastfeeding your infants will turn them in to needy, clinging children couldn’t be any farther from from the truth. … [Read more...]
Who doesn't love a good birth or adoption story? This one is the Grumet family's, in links that were compiled here by Kendall. This post (January 28, 2010), written in the midst of other posts regarding social worker visits ("Please God, let my house be clean!"), endless notarizing, and multiple sets of fingerprints, details the reasons for choosing to adopt from Ethiopia specifically. Samuel had turned 3 a little over a month before this post was written. This post (February 20, … [Read more...]
Yes, unfortunately adoption is trendy. I am very worried about the consequences of adoption being something stylish, rather than a creation of a family. (Fact: Ethiopian adoptions doubled following Angelina Jolie’s adoption of her daughter.) International and transracial adoptions are quickly sweeping over Hollywood. As family that adopted internationally and transracially, I understand the reasoning behind intercountry adoption and embracing a child of any color. However, it … [Read more...]
This Picture Sums Up The Beauty of a Multiracial Family : Always inspired to be more like the other, no matter how ridiculous it may seem to the outside spectator. Differences are noted (and noted often), but at the end of the day, having clear differences in the household just broadens the realm of possibilities for everyone. … [Read more...]
Being an adoptive transracial family, we always knew we were going to face hardships other families would never have to deal with. Racism was something we expected, but I think we were unaware of the different kind of attacks we would face. What we have noticed the most are the subtle but insidious comments and disapproving looks. Over time it gets easier to ignore the outside silent judgement from other people, but no matter how thick your skin is, it is not something pleasant to deal … [Read more...]
Our hope is that people will get a chance to see a family that may look a little different, but is as close and loving as a family that meets the stereotypical ideal. It is time to break barriers, stop making assumptions, and realize that families come in all different shapes and sizes and can still define the term. Find Out More ››
