Continued.........

Yes, adoption has caused the problems, but would the problems still be there if my half sister and I had been their bio children. I guess that could be anyone’s guess. I believe that C would have hated (these were her words, not mine) the baby no matter what. I felt while growing up that C hated me and didn’t want me around (even before I knew I was adopted), which is how she felt.

The other problem that KK and I have dealt with, is that my parents extended family didn’t understand adoption. They always treated us different than the other children in the family (not including us at family gatherings, at one point we were not on the entire family tree (then added with Adopted beside our names, after someone saying something), etc.. Even to this day some of them will address us as “The Girls” when talking to our parents about us instead of using our names. Adding adopted beside our name hurt me more than any thing. In my mind it added a disclaimer to us and stated we were not worthy. This is why I do not use the wording of “Beth is my adopted daughter”. To me my children are my children and it does not matter how God gave them to me. Some people know I adopted a child or children, but not sure how many, or which ones. I do get asked often, “Which ones are adopted?” I respond, “They are all mine.” As they guess I just laugh and shrug my shoulders say, “I do not know.”

I do know that I would not have wanted any other parents than the ones I have now. They have loved, cared, and guided me through life. No, we are not a perfect family but they are my family, problems and all.

Continued........

"A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence; which costs us nothing."
John Tillotson