November 16, 2023
by Maralee
Comments Off on What to be “Aware” of During Adoption Awareness Month
November is Adoption Awareness Month and this year the word “awareness” is really sticking out to me. There have been seasons where I thought of it as “Adoption Positivity Month” and then years later it felt like “Adoption Shame and … Continue reading
August 16, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on To Octavia, On Your Adoption Day
Dear Tavia, The day we’ve waited for is here and I can’t wait to get you all dressed up in your yellow lace dress and take you to court so we can make it official. I spent hours and hours … Continue reading
June 1, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on We Are Living in Adoption Purgatory
A letter arrived in the mail today. It was unexpected. It had a return address I’ve seen many times before and when it’s expected, it just feels like a piece of information for me to take in. A court date. … Continue reading
April 14, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on Ignoring Your Adopted Child’s Questions Doesn’t Preserve Their Innocence
I read this summary of a podcast interview with Thomas Rhett about the adoption of his daughter and I’m not okay with it. I don’t want to pretend that this interview was a full description of how he’s handling adoption … Continue reading
February 15, 2022
by Maralee
Comments Off on Hey Naomi Campbell, My Adopted Kids Are “My” Children
Dear Ms. Campbell, While the two of us couldn’t seem to have more vastly different lives (you’re a famous model and mom of one, I’m a mom of 8 who just finished eating a Valentine Ding Dong treat she pilfered … Continue reading
January 28, 2020
by Maralee
Comments Off on Where Was I The Day You Were Born
I’ve tried a thousand times to remember. Every year I think about it again. Where was I on the day you were born? Did I somehow know something momentous was happening in a hospital room on the other side of … Continue reading
August 20, 2019
by Maralee
Comments Off on Why My Daughters Need Simone Biles
Dear Simone, My family is rooting for you. And not just because you represent our country, but because you represent us. My two little daughters sit next to me and cheer for you because just like you, they spent part … Continue reading
July 15, 2019
by Maralee
4 Comments
Can I be honest? Today I hate foster care. I hate what it has done to people I love– adults and children alike. I hate how hopeless it has made me about the government’s ability to do anything right. I … Continue reading
July 9, 2019
by Maralee
2 Comments
It has been a beautiful blessing in my life to be able to witness a lot of adoption ceremonies. Each time I’m present to hear the legal language, listen to the parents answer questions, and watch the faces of the … Continue reading
January 18, 2019
by Maralee
6 Comments
I have forced myself to read articles about the Hart family. I don’t want to read them, but I think it’s important to stare their story directly in the face and ask the hard questions. How could two women adopt … Continue reading