Who are We?

Recently, I was at a birthparent support group and was told there was a girl who should have been there, but didn't show.  I thought back to the first time I went to a birthparent support group meeting.

In all honesty, the first time I went, no one else showed.  It was me and two birthmother counselors at the adoption agency.  We ate the pizza and tried to talk.  But it wasn't what I had been looking for.

It was a few months before I would go back again.  When I finally did, I was not the only birthmother there.  There were three others.  And the next time there were four others, including one who has been my closest friend in this journey.  I have made other friends and their help has been immeasurable.

But I remember the first time I walked into a room and knew that I wouldn't be the only birthmother there.  I was frightened.  The thing is, I only knew one other birthmother when I gave birth to my son.  I wasn't sure who I would meet.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  And that truly scared me.

But what I found is that birthmothers are from just about every walk of life you can imagine.  All of us are different.  All of us came to this decision for different reasons.  All of us have our own story.  And that is a wonderful thing.

So if you're a new birthmother and you have been concerned about going to a group meeting, I encourage you to go.  You won't know who you will find there.  But that's a good thing.  If you don't feel like you will fit in, I promise, you will.  We're all different.  But we're all birthmothers.  And that's what ties us all together.

I hope you all have a great weekend!