What Adoption Means to Me | National Adoption Day

Are you adopted? Here’s What Adoption Means to Me | National Adoption Day, from a South Korean adoptee.

What Adoption Means to Me | National Adoption Day

Once Upon a Time, there was a baby girl born in far away land called Seoul, South Korea. Small, helpless, and unaware, this baby had no inclination of how precarious her life was. Her future was uncertain and held in the hands of 2 unmarried teenagers. What would become of this baby girl’s fate?

This is no fairy tale. This is my adoption story. National Adoption Day is coming this Saturday, November 21st, and in celebration of a day that holds a special place in my heart, I am sharing what adoption means to me. Grab your cup of coffee and pull up a chair as we dive into my past (being 100% REAL here, folks) and what it means to me today.

Love

I think my adoption gives me a whole new definition of the word love. Unfortunately, I didn’t fully grasp just how much I was loved until I became a parent myself.

My parents loved me before they even knew me or met me or even fathomed what I was like. They loved me the moment a picture of me was placed in their hands. They loved me the moment they saw my plane landed. They loved me through all of the screaming as I adjusted to American life. They loved me through the years as my personality grew and changed. They loved me just as their own children. They still do. It’s a love that I can fully appreciate now as an adult.

Challenges

I would be lying if I said that being adopted was all “roses.” Growing up in a town with a very small population of Asians definitely made my features stand out. Needless to say, there were some pretty awful folks in my childhood that would remind me just how different I was all through life.

I struggled through times of acceptance with my family, knowing that I was completely “different” from them, wondering if I would ever fit in with the family dynamic. There were times when I wondered what life would be like in Korea. But I wouldn’t take back any of those challenges. They helped shape me into the person I am today.

Hope

Adoption gives me the hope of being an amazing parent, just like my parents. Adoption gives me the hope of one day adopting a child of my own. Adoption gives me the hope that my story could affect someone else’s adoption story. Adoption gives me hope in the world, in family, in love. Perhaps that’s why I’m so passionate about adoption. I am an adoption success story.

As National Adoption Day approaches, I a reminded how important family is to me. Everyone has a different family story. Adoption is something that I am proud of, that gives me character, and provides the unique opportunity to share with my children just how blessed we are as a family. The American family has changed so much over the years. In fact:

• One in 12 married couples in the U.S. are interracial ^[1]
• Nearly 40% of children don’t live with both of their biological parents. Only 62% of children live with their two biological parents ^[2]
• More than 1.5 million American families ^[3] have been touched by adoption

^{[1] https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/02/16/the-rise-of-intermarriage/}

^{[2] https://ncfmr.bgsu.edu/pdf/family_profiles/file139447.pdf}

^{[3] 2010 U.S. Census}

Just like the American family, Honey Maid has also evolved over the past 90 years. From classic grahams to Teddy Grahams, Honey Maid’s wholesome products are made with whole grains and real honey, without high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors, and are wholesome snacks families can agree on for any occasion.

Eating Honey Maid Grahams brings me back to childhood. We always dipped ours in a jar of good ole’ peanut butter. Amazing, right? Using my graham as a scoop, I remember how much I loved this snack, even when challenges came my way. Honey Maid brings wholesome family connections that we can all appreciate, no matter how different our families are.

Today, I celebrate adoption and National Adoption Day. Sharing my story, looking through pictures, remembering my childhood, and eating a delicious snack with my kids, I am smiling ear to ear as I relive those moments that define who I am. Adoption is not only part of me, it is me. And it’s a legacy I am proud to share with my family.

How has adoption touched your life?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more of my family moments, recipes, crafts and travel.

Looking for more parenting tips?