She Chose Adoption, Part 1 of 5 by Andrea Ford
January-February 1996 Issue, Adoption Triad Forum
She Chose Adoption, Part 1 of 5 by Andrea Ford
January-February 1996 Issue, Adoption Triad Forum
Immediately after I relinquished my baby daughter for adoption, I grieved hard and long for an entire year - I cried every day. I went through all the stages of grief that are typical of a great loss. As my daughter's first birthday came and went, I began to feel stronger and better about things. Since I really felt in my heart that I had done the best thing for her (and still do), and I really let myself cry and grieve the loss so much that first year, I felt like I had survived and could move on to healing.My situation was unique in that I have an extremely loving, supportive, helpful family who has always made me feel like I did a brave, strong, unselfish thing. She's now seven, and I've come to realize over the years that the world will look at what I did as cold, strange, selfish, "giving away my child", etc. - but they don't understand that my decision came out of complete and total LOVE for that child - and some inspiration from God. I know I am a stronger person for the experience - I am more empathetic, much less self-centered. My Uncle always says that we get the lessons we need in life. I needed the experience to grow. I will suffer to some extent for the rest of my life because of the separation from my daughter - this is true. But the lessons I have learned have been for my good. My daughter, too, will be very special as the result of being adopted.
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