Our adoption story is not different from many others. And yet in our hearts it holds a very special place. We were eager to start a family and had registered to adopt when the entire adoption system was undergoing a revamp. There was uncertainty and confusion, and little did we know that being one of the first few families to enter the system online meant that we would bring our daughter home in under 6 months. She was a tiny baby of around 3 months and we fell in love the moment we saw her. The process much to our surprise was swift and smooth and just like that we were parents and life changed for the better.
But this is not about how we came to be a family, this is about how our daughter also led us to our extended family. Through an adoption support group, I met another aspiring parent who was is the same stage as we were, and we shared our agony about the wait and what it then seemed like a very slow process. And through her I met two others and the connection was instantaneous, and it felt like we had always known each other. In a gap of 6 months we had all got our daughters home. We were all first-time parents, all basking in the glow of new found happiness and juggling with new responsibilities. Having them around made the transition easy and I never felt alone. Today, I can’t imagine our lives without each other. They are my soul sisters; our kids are best friends. We celebrate birthdays and festivals together. We cheer for each other, we cry together, and we laugh – just like families do.
This family is not restricted to the four of us. Every time you meet an adoptive parent you share an instant bond. You open easily and share stories and I’ve seen the same kind of belonging in adoption support groups. People are eager to help, encouraging and supportive, something that is very rare in today’s judgmental world (especially so in the online world). I’ve often wondered whether the journey of adoption makes us better people, maybe we are so filled with gratitude that we feel the need to give back?
The beauty of adoption is that you learn to love without boundaries, without exceptions. This love extends not just to kids but to everyone. I am forever thankful for everything our daughter has taught us, for making us better people and for bringing us close to so many adoptive families. The journey of adoption is joyous but like everything good in life, it is not without challenges. Therefore, it is important that we come together, find the right kind of support and help each other sail through.
As told by Shradha, an adoptive parent.
