if you care to: please check in if you are a happily adopted person.

[xchrom]

there aren't words to describe how much i love/loved my folks -- dad is gone now -- mom will be 104 this month.

my parents wrapped my life in love, support and happiness.
something my birth mother could not do -- i went from my birth mom's hands to my parents.

and that's all they are: MY PARENTS.
my birth mother was not my parent.

again -- if you care to share -- let us know about your self and your folks.

[MADem]

1. I'm not adopted, but I am happy for you that you had such great parents.

There are quite a few adopted children in my clan, and they are all adored.

[blueamy66]

2. checking in....

I have no words to describe the love I had/have for my Mom and Dad either. Unfortunately, I lost my Mom when I was in my early 20s and I lost my Dad 12 years ago.

My parents wrapped my life in love, support and happiness too. We weren't rich, but I don't remember wanting for much. I found out after my Dad had passed that he worked 2 jobs just so that he could send me to Catholic school. He worked for an airline and would deliver lost baggage to the owners 3 days a week.

They had tried for many years to have a child, to no avail. They adopted my brother in 1964 and then me in 1966, through Catholic Charities.

I don't ever remember speaking about it....but did have a "baby book", just like any other baby. I still cry when I read what my Mom wrote about the day they got to bring me home. Nobody cared that I was adopted. Nobody ever really spoke about it. We were a family.

Why does the word "birth" have to precede the word "parent"?

and that's all they are: MY PARENTS.
my birth mother was not my parent.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. I'll check in for my niece. The most well-adjusted, solidly grounded member of the extended family.

Adopted at birth from South America. W. a stable intact marriage, and brood of bio kids of her own who appear to be doing exceptionally well in all observable aspects.

She's my own son's ( adopted-- age 4) designated guardian. I would have no other.

I think issues w. adopted kids correlate w. ( among many other things) age at adoption. Older-kid adoptions imply one or more attachment disruptions. The road is often not so smooth. Our psyches are a mass of complexities... to put it mildly.

But adoptions at birth seem to be unremarkable. Anecdotal, sure, but most I know of do just fine.

[brewens]

4. My brother and sister were both adopted, then evidently I was a little surprise. What was

kind of funny is that as little kids they talked about it and I was even littler and never remembered it. Then it became a total non-issue. I had no clue. It would have occured to me sooner or later because my sister looks like she would be my sister but my older brother looks totally different.

When I was about 12, my brother told a neighbor girl they were adopted in front of me! Not that I took it badly but it was a little bit of a surprise. Everyone just assumed I knew.

As far as I know, neither my brother or sister ever made any attempt at trying to find out who their natural parents were. Mom and Dad were Mom and Dad and that was all there was to it. They would have been adopted about 1956 and 1958. I doubt anyone even knows if it would be possible to find anything out.

[blueamy66]

5. I looked nothing like my brother or my parents!

I am 5'11" with blonde hair and blue eyes.

My brother was 5'9" with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes.

My Mom was 5'5" on a good day with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

My Dad was 5'11" with brown hair and brown eyes with a darker complexion.

BUT, we are all Polish.

Still didn't feel any different than any other kid.

And yeah, non-issue describes it perfectly.

[SheilaT]

6. I'm not adopted either,

but two of my cousins are, and my ex's oldest brother and sister are.

It always struck me as simply another way families come about.

[el_bryanto]

7. I was adopted - and generally happy. I love my parents.

This subject does have some political connotations though.

Bryant

[uncommonlink]

8. Checking in.

Myself, and 3 siblings were adopted by my father's sister and husband, who had 4 of their own already.
Father was killed during the Korean War and our mother literally fell apart, drinking, drugs.

We were adopted and given the same love as their biological children, all of us grew up to be honest contributors to society.

[Marrah_G]

9. Adopted, love my parents

Have also met my birth family, good people, my parents are still my parents though.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

11. My natural mother married my dad who adopted me at 2.

He adopted both my older sister and I. He is my hero. Sadly, he passed away 13 years ago. I miss him very much.

Sorry about your dad, and hope your mom keeps on keeping on!

[unionthug777]

12. i was adopted

[pnwmom]

13. I'm happy for you xchrom!

That is certainly what I hope for my wonderful granddaughter someday -- that she will feel as you do.

[RebelOne]

14. My daughter has two adopted daughters.

The birth mother was abusive and a druggie, so the kids were taken away from her and she had to give up her parental rights.

The girls have been quite spoiled all their lives after my daughter and her husband adopted them. One of them is very happily married now with two boys. The younger girl had a baby in April and she and her boyfriend are living together. They are very happy and plan on getting married soon.

[ashling]

15. I am not adopted but I know this

In the places where you put love above everything else, you’ll feel the sense of peace that love in action gives to those who practice it, and know you have contributed something of lasting value to others.

peace & love

[Scuba]

16. Just checked with my daughter. She says she's very happy to have been adopted. I'll check ...

... with my son later, but I expect his answer will be the same.

[maddezmom]

17. Adopted and have 2 adopted children

Very happy about both!

[Heidi]

18. Happily adopted person checking in!

PS: xchrom!

[xchrom]

20. you know i adore you!

[Heidi]

21. We're a mutual admiration society!

[actslikeacarrot]

19. checking in.

I am one of four adopted children, all adopted from different families. I was the last adopted, and I always liked to joke that I was the blue light special as I was the cheapest in fees

[adigal]

22. I am adopted and have great parents

They don't have my sensitivity so that has caused issues throughout life and the reason they are staunch Republicans while Imlove Bernie Sanders. But they are good generous people.

[kwassa]

23. I have a very happy adopted daughter.

She is just a ray of sunshine, smart, industrious, generous, a fabulous kid. We do everything to love her, support her, and encourage her.

[Ms. Toad]

24. Not adopted -

but I have three adopted siblings (the youngest at age 2). Two adopted cousins. And my adopted sister gave her first child up for adoption

Our story is mixed, tangled with anglicizing native children in my older brother's case - and true need in my other two siblings' cases. As another poster said below - there are things which make far more difference that adopted v. biological families. My brothers had a rough go of it, in large part because of damage done by their family of origin, age at adoption, FAS, and cultural issues. My sister is generally happy. My cousins (adopted at birth) are well adjusted and happy - more so than at least one of their siblings who is biologically related to their parents.

Adoption isn't uniformly good - or bad. Any more than having biological children is. But any time a family is disrupted because the children are at risk, the children will likely remain at risk. And - any study which lumps all adopted children into one category and proclaim that it proves anything about adopted children generally is not worth the paper (or electrons) it took to write it.