Parent Panel with Next Generation Guatemala
I’m a long-time admirer of Next Generation Guatemala (NGG), an organization of young adults born in Guatemala and adopted to the US. Which is why I was thrilled when asked to participate in NGG’s Parent Panel/Q&A, with questions around decisions to adopt, how we connect to Guatemalan culture, how/if we build community, how/if/when our families discuss race. Excellent, fascinating discussion all around. Here’s the YouTube link, with my apologies for joining in late.
Mateo is 16!
Our beautiful son, Mateo, is 16. He has brought so much joy into our lives, and for me, in addition, so much insight and inspiration. He’s a deep thinker, this one, and I’m grateful every minute to be his mother. Happy birthday, Mateo!
Essay about open international adoption
One more (final) meditation for Adoption Awareness Month, celebrated annually in November. This one’s about open international adoption–why we decided to look for and reconnect with our kids’ birth mothers and where we are now, 10 years into our reunions. Thank you to Lori Holden for her long-time advocacy of open adoption and for including my voice in the conversation. Read the essay here.
Back to school
Our first week of distance learning was a success. I’m proud of my HS sophomore and senior–(sophomore! senior!!! what?!?)–for their good attitudes and adaptability. (Not sure I would do so well, actually.) No first day of school pix this year–they’re 18 and 15, enough said. But I found this gem from 12 years ago. xoxo
Cancelled due to Covid.
For the past ten or so years, families from our Bay Area Guatemalan adoption group have gathered this weekend to celebrate, connect, and catch up; to compare stories of travel to Guatemala and reunion with birth families. The gathering is our touchstone–a few blessed hours of conversation when everyone we talk to has walked the same path; a time, once a year, when we feel heard and understood. It’s the day we marvel together with love and pride at our beautiful children growing into adults. The day we witness our kids’ deep bonds of friendship. I wish I had an album of photos to share with you, but out of respect for everyone’s privacy, I don’t post pictures. So I’ll share a photo of Olivia and me during her Quinceanera year, which we celebrated with two other young women in our group. (A grand event!) And a photo of me during last year’s pre-party Costco run. Tomorrow, our group will celebrate via Zoom, set up by one of our moms who’s great with technology. We’ll miss the delicious potluck side dishes everyone bring, the burgers on the grill, the sweet desserts. We’ll miss the hugs. But we still have one another. That, we know, will never change. xoxo