[adoptionblessings]

Growing up as an adoptee decades ago in the closed adoption system, adoptees were rarely encouraged to verbalize, share, express their feelings, thoughts, dreams or emotions regarding their adoption. This was unfortunate but this was the way things were. In my mid-thirties I came to an "awakening" of my adopted status and my creative juices began to flow through writing and poetry. It became a wonderful and safe place to articulate the feelings, emotions, questions and ponderings I embraced as an adopted person.
I began to love poetry in high school and I and a close friend Jodie, also an adoptee, began making spiral notebooks with our own poems and collected poems and quotes of others. It is interesting to me that neither of us expressed adoption in our poetry or writings at the time- but one did not "talk" freely about adoption back then as they do today. I remember spending the night at Jodie's while in high school. She invited me at school and she told me she had a special secret to tell me that night- I told her I had one too to share too. We did not know prior to this time that we both were adopted. What a surprise to learn what our "secret" was- that we were adoptees!!! What a beautiful connection/bonding we found in our friendship that remains to this day! We knew few other adoptees, since most did not share openly that they were adopted.
Through my free outreach publication, Adoption Blessings Journal, I have run a yearly contest for adopted children and teens to encourage them to share their poems, short stories or writings regarding their adoption journey, feelings, questions, dreams, prayers. The 1st year a young adoptee was the winner sharing her adopted feelings in a poem. The 2nd year I only received one entry so will hold her writings until the next contest offering. Am hoping to run another contest in 2006. In the meantime, encourage adopted children and teens to write. Any writings (poems, short stories, verse) can be e-mailed to Jody at adoption@wideopenwest.com
Feel free to copy and paste this message and e-mail it to families, friends, agencies, adoption lists and those you know with adopted children and teens!
Thanks! Jody

[adoptionblessings]

Have any young adoptees/adopted children written prose or poetry or journal entries about their being adopted? Or any short stories, fiction? Have you seen writings by young adoptees- one you know or posts on the internet?
Share here- thanks!
Jody Moreen

[misunderstoodadoptee]

i sent u my story and poem but i just wanted to say thank you my friend showed me this thread and the minute i saw it i just wanted to cry with joy