Jean
Hello,
My name is Jean, and I am honored to be writing this letter. Last year at this time I was sailing to Alaska on a beautiful ship, meeting new people, panning for gold, petting sled dogs, riding in a submarine and learning about the beautifully rich culture. This year, I bought a big house, baby clothes and toys, and opened a college fund in preparation for starting my family.
I am so excited to be taking the step to becoming a parent. I look forward to the little things the most: going to the playground, shopping for school clothes and having winter picnics in front of the fireplace.
Growing up, my brothers and I always got to pick out a piñata (I know, odd for an Italian family) for our birthday parties. As a parent, I am looking forward to carrying on the piñata tradition with the two huge trees in my backyard. My mother always made sure our home was warmly decorated, and similarly, I like decorating with quilts made by my grandmother and great grandmother, antiques, and garage sale finds.
I truly feel that family and friends are what makes life rich. The majority of my friendships are going on 19 years, with some as long as 26+ years. I recently re-connected with an elementary school friend after discovering on Facebook we had been living a few miles apart since 1992. My friends are so excited for me and ask for adoption planning updates whenever I talk to them. Since most of my friends have already become parents, they are ready with whatever I need. I think of them as extended family, and I welcome my child’s birthparents into my family with just as much warmth and love.
One of the most important relationships in my life is the one I have with my significant other, Stan. We have been together 8 ½ years and our houses are 6 blocks apart. He has been busy making repairs to my big red house, which I affectionately call ‘The Barn,’ in order to ensure that everything is safe for my child. Stan has chosen not to join me in parenting because he is unsure of his parenting skills due to a very strained relationship with his father. Yet he looks forward to being a part of my child’s life, and he is close at hand helping me out with whatever I need. This last week he put together the rocking chair I ordered. He owns nearly every tool and can fix anything. Stan is patient, kind and loving, and he is always thinking of others. His second home is a beach house and we have been going every month for 4 years to unwind and enjoy small town life. We ride our bikes at the beach, enjoy car shows, parades, the Scandinavian Fair, arcades, bowling, and strolling through town.
Stan, his sister, several of my cousins as well as my friend’s daughter were all adopted through closed adoptions. I feel much more drawn to the open adoption process where relationships are enriched through the presence of being in one another’s lives. In an open adoption, I believe we are actually adopting each other’s families, and I trust everyone will benefit, especially our child, in knowing and loving one another.
I wish you all the best,
Jean