Family History
In the ten years between my wedding day and the day I met my children, I spent a lot of time fantasizing about all of the traditions we would celebrate once I finally became a mother. I didn't spend a...
View ArticlePrimary School Privilege
I get an urgent call from one of the other Kindergarten moms. She tells me that there is a child that she wants removed from the classroom. My mind races a little as I think about what a strict school...
View ArticleReunited Outside the Orphanage Walls
I spend a lot of time thinking about everything my children have lost. The list is long. Sometimes, however, something beautiful takes place, like it did on this sunny August day on the lake.
View ArticleMy Inadvertently Open, Ethiopian Adoption—A Steep Learning Curve
In the beginning it was about wanting a baby. I desperately wanted a baby. Every single cell in my body was screaming to be pregnant. My late twenties and all of my thirties were dedicated to the goal...
View ArticleDear Infertility Patient
I think I know how you are feeling. Maybe you feel like you aren’t a real woman? Maybe you think you will never ever recover from that last miscarriage you had? Maybe you feel like no one understands,...
View ArticleMommies Always Come Back (except when they don’t)
When it came time to enroll my son Melese in school, I found a diverse, Reggio-based preschool within walking distance of our house. I explained to the director that my son had a tough history, rife...
View ArticleWhat is Home for My Adopted Son?
I’ll never forget the day I pulled into our driveway and my then two-year-old son, who really only knew a dozen words at the time, looked out from his car seat at our small white house in Los Angles...
View ArticleThankfulness, Insecurity and Adoption: A Messy Lesson
My daughter Meazi likes moms who are made-up, fashionable and beautiful, who have fine jewelry and nice leather boots. Moms who are not me. But when she wrote down what she was thankful for this...
View ArticleIs Motherhood More Bitter Than Sweet?
Motherhood is more difficult than I thought it would be, a lot more difficult. The witching hour is no joke, and is why, I am certain, cocktail hour was invented.
View ArticleMy Daughter’s 10 Favorite Multicultural Books
As a white adoptive mother of two Ethiopian children, I’m always on the lookout for meaningful books that show people from all parts of the world. These are my daughter's favorites.
View ArticleDear White Officer, Please Don’t Shoot
At what age does my darling black son begin to look like a threat to the world?
View Article10 Things You Should Know Before Adopting a Child
10 things you may want to consider before sending in that adoption application.
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