Many Thorns, Yet Still Roses: Breaking the Silence with Our Story of Sibling Group Adoption

There I was, in the middle of a crowd, realizing how alone I felt. Life after adopting a sibling group was heavy, and I didn’t know how to share the load. I’d failed to connect with outside friends and family in previous attempts, and was scared to try again.However, deep inside, I knew that fear should not be my deciding emotion. Fear wouldn’t be the reason I stayed quiet and alone. So, I focused on my hope for something better, instead.

I prayed a while, and heard God’s urge for me to open a window that allows others to see inside our trauma family. It felt clear that He would use our chaos and adventure to let others see how to better understand, relate to, and support the trauma families around them, so that no one in adoptive transitions should ever feel alone, especially in a crowd.

When my husband and children gave their blessing to share the excitement and devastation of our first year as an adoptive family, I felt affirmed. They all wanted something different for other children in similar circumstances, just as much as I wanted something different for other moms like me. As a family, we worked to recall every intense low and heartwarming high of our transitional year, and we invite you to both laugh and cry with us through our story. We don’t claim to be better or worse than any other family, but the context of our experience will bring light to a style of family that should no longer be feeling forgotten.