Our Adoption Journey, epilogue

This series has been wonderful to write. I had no idea I had this in me until I started writing it and the words just flowed right out of me. We brought Cassie home that day and our whirlwind Journey of Parenthood began. We have not stopped since. Six months later, on a blustery, stormy December morning we went to court and finalized her adoption. It was a joyful day, a day we legally became a family.

Cassie's adoption was a very easy, simple adoption. The emotions I wrote about were real, the rollercoaster was hard to ride, but the adoption process itself was very smooth and uneventful. Four years after Cassie's adoption we were to embark upon another adoption journey and we would soon find out how easy we had it with Cassie's. This next journey would test our limits of faith, trust, and emotional strength. I will write about it soon.

We did send A a long letter and many pictures when Cassie was six months old. She loved them and sent us a beautiful letter that she had written to us on the day Cassie was born. She also wrote one to Cassie. I kept these in a safe place, waiting the right moment to share them with Cassie. That moment came last year when out of Cassie's mouth I heard "If I am so special, how come A gave me away?" I knew this moment would come, but I was not prepared to feel the sharp pain in my heart. I felt for her and her preteen angst. My words of reassurance meant nothing to her. I gave her A's letter to read. Her words were my words but at that moment they were much more powerful to Cassie than mine were. Cassie read that letter, and understood the powerful love A felt for her, and the powerful love and trust A felt for us. It was a beautiful moment.

Throughout the years, the lines of communication remained open. I sent letters and pictures every 6 months. In each letter I reminded A that she was welcome for a visit anytime. She did visit when Cassie was 5 and our new son was 6 months old. Six months ago Cassie expressed the desire to meet with A again. She sent an email to A's mom requesting a visit. She was happy to comply. Unfortunately A was unable to meet us for lunch last October, she was pregnant and scheduled for a C-section the following day. We did meet Cassie's Birth Grandmother for lunch and had a wonderful visit. The following day A gave birth to another baby girl. I am happy to say she is parenting this angel and is very happy and settled in her life.

This weekend A came to our house for a wonderful visit. Cassie was able to meet her little sister for the first time. We had a great visit, felt like we had just seen her yesterday. Our bond is very strong. When they left, Cassie looked at me and said "Thank you Mommy". The tears flowed...how I love this little girl.


Open adoption is a beautiful process. It is a process filled with love, trust, joy, sadness, despair, euphoria, and every emotion in between. Open adoption binds two families together with a bond that can never be broken. Thirteen years ago A and her family were strangers to us. Now they are a part of us, a part of our family. I hold A in the highest regard. I have so much respect and love for her. She is an angel on earth. Through her, our dreams came true, we became a family.

This post has gotten long...this was not my intention. I will put pictures on the next post. Cassie through the years.....