The list includes:
Latin American Month
National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month
National Epilepsy Month
National Red Ribbon Month (anti-drunkdriving)
National Stamp Collecting Month
National Georgia Pecan Month
National Pepper Month
National Hospice Month
National Peanut Butter Lover's Month
National Raisin Bread Month (mmmmmmmm)
National Diabetes Awareness Month (which the previous 2 can lead to, lol)
No Shave Novemeber
THANKSGIVING (keeping my maternity pants around just for this)
but most of all, the one closest to my heart is
National Adoption Awareness Month
Most of everything you will read will be about protecting the orphans as God instructs us to do. You will also read a lot from adoptive parents and their struggles. Its good to find comradery and to get a feel of what it will be like to adopt. But I feel like that part of adoption is already so available to read and we should focus more on the adoptee themselves and the birthparents. Yes, of course I bias towards the birthparent aspect, but there are so many bad stereotypes about us floating around out there or we seem to be on a pedestal. Strangers view me as a recovered drug addict when they find out I placed my child for adoption and adoptive parents look at me like I have freakin angel wings and a small shed of tear in my eye.
People, we are normal everyday humans!! Not all of us are on crack and we could have raised our children, but there are many reasons why we are not. I'm also not a Saint. Yes, I made a family complete but I was only doing the best for my child, not because there are people who can't have a baby in the conventional way and I wanted to bless them. I also don't hold back my emotions, I become a hot mess on certain days when I think about my first daughter. There are also days where I *gasp* barely think of her. It has been 7 years people, I'm not so fresh. I don't beat myself up for that. Of course I always think of her (I have her pictures in every room) but its not the overwhelming "what have I done" as it was when I first placed her.
I also find some adoptive parents blog's rather annoying. Mainly because even though they say they are there for the birthparents, really they don't think twice about us other than the fact that we gave them their child. And then it becomes all "well I'm the one who raised her.... blah blah blah". Um HELLO we are not deadbeat dads that you are trying block form visitations until we cough up child support. We didn't abandon our child (though that is a valid emotion for adoptees to feel) so we could live how we want and sow our oats. Keep us in our child's life, even if it is through pictures and letters left at the agency. Even if your child's birthparents were cracked out whores, leave updates for us.
Better yet, lets get the ball rolling on better laws all around. Give birthparents more time to choose to parent or place after they give birth. Let the babies go home with the birthparents for a night or two so they can really get a hold of their emotions and rethink why they are placing. WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO CHANGE OUR MINDS and we are not horrible for doing so. Make promises adoptive parents make to keep in contact legally binding (I'm not saying the courts can take the child away for not keeping in contact, but maybe fine them each time?). SOOOOOO many birth moms that I know have shattered lives becasue what was promised to them was broken before the first year, hell lots the first month, after placement.
EVEN BETTER, know someone who is thinking about placing? Why don't you come along side them instead of pushing or pulling either way and help them to get the all the help to be able to parent so they really can feel as if they are making the best possible choice for the child no matter what they decide.
/end rant
Well.... that must have been on my chest because I feel better about this month! ha!
Seriously though, adoption is great and I'm a big supporter, just wish there wasn't a need for it for everyone involved in the triad.
