A Birthmother's Mother's Day

I can't think of Mother's Day without thinking of Isaac's birthmother.  Our relationship with her has changed so much over the past two years.  For one thing, it's strange to think that we've "known" each other for 2 years now!  (We were matched with her 2 years ago yesterday.)  Just this week, we were talking on the phone & she mentioned something that had happened to her grandfather 2 summers ago.  I remembered that incident exactly, and we both laughed, thinking how funny it is to have known each other this long already. 

Before entering the world of adoption, I had many misconceptions about birthmothers.  Why do they get pregnant?  Don't they know better?  Through our relationship with Isaac's birthmother, along with watching several of our friends' adoption stories (here's one), we've come to discover it's much more complicated than initial judgments.  Just like each of us, they've made choices that have consequences.  And, whether we agree with their choices or not, in the end they are courageous and brave.  These women choose life for a child that they love....that love is so great that they choose to place their baby in a better situation than they can provide at that time. 

Although the day we brought Isaac home was incredible, it was also shadowed by the reality that our overwhelming joy came at the expense of his birth family's sacrifice.  We welcomed a baby with love, while they essentially said "goodbye" to him with love.  We are forever grateful for their sacrifice.

From the bottom of our hearts, Happy Mother's Day to a dear birthmother.