Mothers Day

Well, another Mothers Day has come and gone and I am still on the mom-in-waiting list.  What makes it so difficult is not so much the fact that I do not yet have a child in my arms, but, rather, that most people forget that I am an expectant mother.  If a woman is pregnant on Mothers Day, we wish her Happy Mothers Day as we are are reminded by her baby bump that she is a mom already.  When a woman is in the adoption process, she is forgotten about on Mothers Day. Why? Because there is no physical reminder that she is expecting. 


When one is adopting, you are encouraged by adoption professionals to behave like any other expectant parent.  Slow down, eat better, exercise more, and expect that those close to you will treat you the same as any other expectant parent.  But few do. How can one feel like an expectant mother when few people recognize you as one?  Even those who are close to you, forget that you are an expectant parent.  Baby bumps go a long way in making people treat you as the mom you are.  Us women in the adoption process may not have a physical reminder that we are expecting, yet we are none-the-less.  


We may not have children growing in our wombs, but they are growing in our hearts.  


I WAS wished a Happy Mothers Day by one friend and I would like to share that message here with you - "Happy Mothers Day to a beautiful Mama! You are in your heart and will be soon in the days to come. Praying and loving you friend!"  - This one message, from a new friend, made my day! (I did get a "Mothers Day" card from the dogs, which was very sweet but not the same.)  I think it is one of the only times someone as recognized that I am expecting, even though I am not expecting in the traditional sense. 


 I really think we put far too much emphasis on biology and physical connection when we think of family.  Family is more than blood, more than DNA, more that a physical connection.  Family is born in our hearts, connected by love.  Becoming parents by birth or adoption makes no difference in whether or not one is a "real" parent, love is what makes a family and makes someone a "real" parent. I am blessed to have at least a few people that recognize this and see me as an expectant mom.  Having that support makes this journey so much easier. 


God bless to you all that have shown me such love and support on this journey, thank you for recognizing that I am a mom-to-be and treating me as an expectant mother, this journey would be much more difficult without people like you!