Heritage

I am reading a book for my lay ministry classes and I came to a very interesting portion. The book is called “Transforming Leadership” and it’s by Leighton Ford. The book is about Jesus as a leader. The part that interested me has nothing to do with religion. The author is talking about another book called “Creative Suffering” by Paul Tournier. He wrote the book after reading some research done by Dr. Pierre Rentchnick. Dr. Rentchnick did an interesting study of some of the greatest leaders in the history of the world and discovered that over three hundred of them were orphans. Not all of these names are ones that we would equate with great positive people, but they are… [more]

I don’t swim. Many a brave soul has tried…and failed…to teach me. I took classes as a child. Yes, passing a swim class is necessary to graduate from high school (or at least it was when I attended back in the Dark Ages). But the requirement was merely that you passed the class, not that you had to swim. In fact, I was compared to a pontoon. It was that bad. I married a man who does not swim. What are the odds of that? He hates it more than I do, if that is possible. He also tried to learn many, many times. We don’t really even like being on the water, much less in it (though I can tolerate it better than he). Enter our biological… [more]

Recently a reader sent me an email asking for advice regarding a failed adoption in which the reader still has physical custody of the child. May I first make it clear that I am not an adoption professional neither do have legal training. I do have 14 years of foster care experience, have adopted seven children, and mentored new foster and adoptive parents for many years. While I have strong feelings about adoption issues and freely share my advice, it probably isn’t what the reader or most adoptive families would expect to hear. A family involved in a failed adoption is hoping for a rescue to save them from the pain of loss. I know, because we have experienced it a few times. “I am involved… [more]

World Water Day is March 22 of each year as designated by the United Nations. Drawing attention to the conservation and development of water resources is the overall objective. Advocacy, publication, and organization of conferences with the year’s chosen theme is how they hope to increase public awareness. This year’s theme is “Sanitation.” The U.N. hopes to attract international attention to conservation and development of water resources through this yearly ritual. The safe disposal of human waste and the ability to maintain hygienic conditions, through disposal services and wastewater treatment is paramount to basic sanitation. These conditions that are taken for granted here in the United States are not possible in many developing countries. Of course, the lack of basic sanitation leaves many people at… [more]

We just picked up our Good Wishes Quilt from the quilter. I happen to be good at many things but sewing is not on of them so we hired someone who had the knowledge and talent to create our heirloom for us. I first learned about the idea of good wish quilt from various blogs of Pap’s adopting from China. Many pap’s adopting from China embraced the idea and before you knew it everyone was creating a 100 good wishes quilt or scrapbook. It has been said that a the tradition started in the Northern part of China where families create a Bai Jia bei ( 100 good wishes quilt) for a new baby. Each family member would donate a… [more]

I have this great Photography Book called the Circle of life… and from cradle to the grave it shows how all different cultures mark the milestones in life in stunning pictures and brief stories. I bought this book ages ago… I was 19-20 years old, working at the mall and would always walk in to the bookstore and look at this book that at the time was not in my budget. One day they had a sale and I was able to afford it. It is still one of my favorite books. In my meditation group last night I was explaining how difficult the transition and becoming a Mom has been. The teacher said that we are not meant to parent alone… that… [more]

Family tree charts are something that myself and my children find both enjoyable to fill out and valuable to keep in our memory books. Yesterday, I came across one great one that was an internet freebie. For today, I went in search of others that you might enjoy.

1. Twining Rose Fan
2. Graphical Family Tree
3. Interactive Pedigree
4. Six Generation Leaf Chart
5. Six Generation Fan
6. Disney/Tigger - 3 charts

As adoptive parents, we must embrace ALL of the history so integral to our adopted child. All people, but particularly many adopted children, tend to categorize their lives. One therapist we use is constantly working with the kids on “parts”. There is a mad part, a happy part, an angry part. There is a part that longs for happy life with their birth family. There is a part that is sad to be adopted and a part that is happy to be adopted. The listing of all of our “parts” could go on for pages and pages. The important thing is that these parts somehow integrate. The brain and the heart must… [more]

Our local newspaper ran an article about our adoption a few weeks ago- it was tilted “ A Day in the Life” it was a short 300 word article on our adoption and how we are helping Livi with sign language. They also printed a photo of the three of us. The writer mentioned that by coincidence that our daughter has my husbands eyes, my hair color and my “ peaches & cream complexion”.Upon reading that phrase I unexpectedly burst into tears. My grandmother who passed away many years ago always told me how lucky I was to have a peaches & cream complexion. She told me this over & over, to an awkward geeky girl it meant the world that at least… [more]