Thanks to everyone following this blog. My hope is that readers will examine preconceived notions about adoption. I hope this blog has illustrated that adoption is a miracle to be celebrated – not shrouded in secrecy or shame.
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Our Adoption Miracle
We were an American man by way of Poland and Denmark, and an American woman born of Eastern European Jews (and one Italian) with their American daughter of Mayan ancestry. We were in a beautiful restaurant courtyard in Antigua, crying and hugging our family who traveled 5 hours on rough road from the remote hills of Guatemala.
What crazy twist of fate, what wrinkle in the Universe could have caused such unusual circumstances? Welcome to Thanksgiving 2016 and our adoption miracle.
A Family Dinner Like No Other
This was an evening we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Julia’s Foster Family
Julia lived with a foster family for the first 6 months of her life. This was the required waiting period for the paperwork to clear and we could take her home. If you know anything about the American foster care system, you can understand why I was so anxious. Was my baby being cared for with love and kindness?
Open Adoption International Style
We were advised to begin explaining the concept of adoption to Julia even before she could understand. When she was about 3 she asked me if she drank milk from my boobies. “No, you had a bottle.” Time to start ‘splain’in!
Exploring Mayan Culture
I’d like to say Julia has always been interested in exploring her roots. But I’d be
lying. She’s more interested in exploring the inventory at Forever 21.
But she does love to travel and we all had a great time exploring the Mayan ruins inTulum Mexico.
The journey begins…
Marina Alvarez Perez lives in a remote and mountainous region of Guatemala where she and her family work at a coffee plantation. She is a single mother with two children — Julia’s big sisters.
When Marina became pregnant a third time, she was out of options.
Seeking Marina
Seventeen years ago, my husband Gregory and I traveled to Guatemala to claim our daughter and bring her home.
Julia would bring me more joy than I ever thought possible. Nothing, nothing is more important than my daughter’s health and happiness.
A week from today, Julia, Gregory and I will travel back to Guatemala to meet the woman who made it all possible. Julia will look into her birth mother’s eyes and finally see a reflection of her own face. And I will look into the eyes of the woman who unselfishly and courageously gave my life meaning.
Her name is Marina.
The first few shots in this video show my first moments with Julia, age 6-months, December 1999.