National Adoption Month is a time to celebrate adoption, advocate for children in need, and discuss the effects of adoption. We welcome you to check out our National Adoption Month page to find different educational resources and links to publications discussing adoption this November. Over the course of the weekend, we also invite you to share your story. Here are three ways you can join the discussion:
Intimate Discussions
This does not need to be a formal affair, but rather a chance to talk about your experience. Sit down with a friend or family member and tell your story–it can be about your adoption process, how adoption has affected you throughout the years, about a birthland visit if you’ve had a chance to participate in one, or why you chose to adopt if you are an adoptive parent. Or, maybe there are people close to you that have wanted to ask you about your adoption but didn’t know how. Ask your friends or family members if they have any questions. This could be a chance to open up dialogue about adoption and how it impacts the lives of those involved.
Share Your Adoption Story Blog
Last summer we began the Share Your Adoption Story project. This aims to gather and share first-person experiences of adoption from members of the adoption circle – adopted individuals, their birth parents and adoptive parents – as well as extended family and friends, adoption advocates and professionals, volunteers and members of the community at large. Take a moment to visit shareyouradoptionstory.org and read the stories of others. Then, if you’re interested in sharing your story, please feel free to submit your story in written form, photos or even video.
Watch a play based on others’ shared stories
If you’re open to a more artistic and public venue, Wonderlust Theatre Company‘s continually crafts a play about adoption in Minnesota. Over the last year, they convened story circles to “[solicit] stories of people affected by adoption, including adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents and siblings.” This weekend they will be performing a play based on those circles. You can register for the play here or visit their site to find out when they will begin their next story circles so you can share your own story.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the discussions that arise from sharing your story!
