As I sit at my desk and type, I am able to observe my younger sister’s image in the corner of my vision. Her facial features are depicted with a high degree of vibrancy, as she is depicted in her pink and blue ballerina tutu, which is adorned with small fairy wings and a flower pinned in her hair.
Below this image is a humorous sketch that she created during a church service. It is a scribbly portrait of me and my husband. Each time I view this image, I experience a positive emotional response. My husband has a single, substantial curl of hair that emerges from the top of his head, while I believe I possess a tail.
It is not uncommon for me to forget that my younger sister was adopted. Despite the 20-year age difference between us and the fact that I was married before she became part of our family, I do not consider her to be an “adopted” child. However, when I learned that November is National Adoption Awareness Month, I was reminded that her adoption brought her into our family. She has been a source of great benefit, both in terms of her contributions to our family and in her role as a child. From her creative drawings that greet me each morning at work to her joy in filling the void left by her parents’ empty nest, she has brought immense value to our lives.
I would like to express my gratitude to the birth mother and to all birth mothers who have made the challenging decision to pursue an adoption plan. While I am uncertain as to whether my sister’s birth mother considered terminating the pregnancy, I am confident that she possessed the insight to recognize the value of her daughter’s life.
This brief and straightforward message is intended to serve as a reminder of the significance of adoption.
For further information on adoption in Pennsylvania, please visit AdoptPAKids.org.