Do you look deeper?

I’ve always had a few hummingbirds in my yard each summer as I have enough perennials they are drawn too, along with the few annuals I plant each spring.  I also have flowering shrubs that bloom at different times of the season, including a Buddleia, commonly known as a Butterfly Bush.  This year, we cut the Buddleia back to the base of its trunk so we knew it wouldn’t be the prolific bloomer this summer, like it was prior years, so I decided to add a hummingbird feeder.

 

Was adopted vs. Is adopted

Lori has great post up about adoption not being a one time event, well worth the time to pop over there and check it out, if you haven’t already read it.  Of course, it sparked a thought that keeps popping into my mind when the subject is discussed based on the inevitable statement made by some prospective and adoptive parents – I don’t want my child to be defined by adoption, it’s an event that happened in the past.  That’s what this post is about.

 

It isn’t about you…

Throughout my life I’ve been a reader.  Reading allows to escape at times, other time it teaches me what I need to know, hear.  It helps when I’m not sure about something, questioning whether feelings have changed, or will change in the future.  First I start with the past, then my era, and try to decide what it may be in the future.

 

Pictures and Social Media – weigh in

I’m going to assume most people reading this blog know I’m not a fan of posting pictures of young children online in any way that they can become viral pictures shared far and wide.  Just recently a set of “newborn” pictures that went viral three years ago has made a comeback.  I’m going to assume the subject is proud of the pictures and is happy with them, but he’s now 16, and I worry about him being bullied by one of his peers, I hope it doesn’t happen.

So, why am I talking about this?  It’s an important discussion about adoption and social media where posts can go viral, what are the consequences now, or in the future.

ABM of the Adoptive Black Mom blog and Mimi do a podcast where they talk about many things, adoption and their journey being one of the main topics.  They have initiated a short anonymous survey about sharing pictures on social media to find out how others feel about this relatively new world we live in – they will discuss the results in an upcoming podcast and I’d assume on ABM’s blog.

They are looking for all voices: Adoptee, Birth Parent, Adoptive Parent, Foster Parent, Foster Alumni, Other.

Please take a couple of minutes to add your voice….

Survey post: Pictures and Social Media

 

Realizing nothing changes

New school year, new rash of posts about the dreaded Family Tree assignments for adoptees (and all the variations of these types of assignments, genetics, etc.).  Questions about how they should be done, what to include, what not to include, the feelings of the children.  How to get the teacher to understand about adoption, what handouts should be given.  Not to mention the added impact on children who spent years in Foster Care, or were adopted from another country who will have noticeable gaps, or doing the assignment can make them seem different to their peers.