Adoptee Reunion: In Praise of Cousins I am on vacation. Why am I writing a blog on a much needed vacation? Because I just had a reminder about how pleasant it is to be reunited with cousins. The first person I...
Uncovering Your History is Your Right In Georgia, SB64 is a bill that would allow adoptees over 18 years of age access to their original birth certificates. So far, the bill has passed unanimously through the Senate. Hopefully, by the time...
Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW is a seasoned and well-respected therapist in both the adoption community, third party reproduction, and MPE (misattributed parentage event) communities. She is a nationally known trainer who travels across the country training therapists, agencies and child...
In the fog. A statement that used to mean waking up and not being able to see out my window. I grew up in California. A foggy morning meant that my carefully curled, fine hair would not last from my...
I've been thinking about adoption loss and grief. Specifically - ambiguous loss, disenfranchised grief, and uncertainty. Whew - quite a mouthful! In my mind's eye, I keep seeing stages of grief as clothing hangers that adoption loss hangs on like a...
Mother's Day Gratitude and Grief Depending on your relationship with your mother, Mother's Day may bring authentic feelings of gratitude, more complicated feelings, or both. If your mother is absent from your life, grief is likely to be experienced too. Growing up,...
There are approximately 7 million people in the US that were adopted. A lot of people, but a minority in a country of over 320 million people. The reality of being adopted isn't talked about much so it's hard to...
Adoption reunion, it's a tricky road. Filled with unexpected twists and turns and some jarring potholes. First, there is no "right" way to do reunion or a search for that matter. There is tons of information out there. I followed a...
November is National Adoption Awareness Month (NAAM). To be honest, until about 5 years ago, I didn't know this was a thing. November is right after my birthday month of October. Unlike many people who were adopted, I've always enjoyed...