Addicted

It’s official. I am completely addicted to reading about adoption. I need to join a support group or maybe the blogging community is my support group. However, if that is the case then we are a bunch of enablers by continuing to update our blogs and share information about adoption and our personal journeys through it. It doesn’t end with just the blogs. I also love all sites that sell any sort of Ethiopia related gear like t-shirts or baby clothes. I have to exert a lot of will not to buy all of it. Did you know there happen to be shows on TV about adoption? They exist to feed my addiction. There is a new show on the WE network about open adoptions. That is obviously not the route Damon and I chose but I still enjoy learning about it and how the relationships develop. The show makes me wonder even more about my future child’s birth mother. I think about her a lot but that is a post for another day.

This adoption addiction really became apparent to me on Saturday morning. I have been super congested and not sleeping well so after a night of tossing and turning I was up pretty early. I decided to let Damon sleep in and went out to the living room to watch a little TV. I flipped through the channels and settled in on the Today Show. You know how the crowds gather outside on Rockefeller Plaza and occasionally hold signs and Al Roker will engage some of them and wish them happy birthday. Well, I was slouched on the couch and my eyes were a bit glazed over and I saw a sign in the crowd that said, “I love my Gladney Baby.” Then I saw another one that said, “Adoption Rocks – I heart Gladney.” I was seriously concerned that I was hallucinating. No joke. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the TV again and the signs were still there. I couldn't help but laugh at myself. I had no idea why they were there but it pleased me. I went through the rest of the day and most of Sunday and basically forgot about this moment. Then I was checking blogs on Sunday afternoon and Heidi mentioned a gathering of Gladney folks in the NY/CT area and I remembered “the incident.” Luckily, Heidi was able to reassure me that this was not an "adoption brain" vision but an actual occurrence. It was a close call. I rarely watch the Today Show on Satuday mornings and think it is a little weird that the morning I decided to watch there were people there holding signs about our adoption agency. It makes me smile actually.

I wanted to share a few of the great links I have discovered through my addiction.

Amharic Tees: They have adorable stuff for infants, toddlers, women and men. If you typically get a Christmas gift from me then odds are that you might receive something from this site. Their shirts are 100% organic cotton and they import their natural fibers from Ethiopia. Plus the shirts are just plain cute and incorporate Ethiopian culture.

Parenthood for Me: This couple has started a non-profit to help provide resources and education for couples either going through adoption or pursuing treatments for infertility. They are currently building an endowment so that couples pursuing adoption can apply for grants to help ease the expense of adoption. The wife also has a great blog and she is an extremely gifted writer. You should check it out!

Amharic Kids: This site has educational tools for kids. The couple that started Amharic Kids realized after the adoption of their daughter that they wanted more tools like books and toys that could help incorporate their daughter’s culture into her life. They have a book called “My First Amharic Words” and these bean bag sets that teach colors and numbers in Amharic. Plus they have tons of other stuff. And the cool thing is that proceeds from the purchases go back to Ethiopia in the form of sponsoring children and towards Ethiopian food relief programs. I will make several purchases from this site when our little buster is home.

I joke about my addiction but I really do think overall the addiction is therapeutic. There are so many times I read someone’s blog and I think how they took the words right out of my mouth. To know that someone out there in Minnesota, Oregon, New York or right here in Columbus is feeling what I am feeling is of huge comfort. There is no doubt the addiction will continue and I will only stop when I have a true hallucination. I’m okay with that.