On Tuesday, I had the privilege of celebrating Birth Mother's Day with 28 amazing women who have courageously and selflessly made an adoption plan for their children. To stand in the midst of that kind of love is truly inspiring.
Birth Mother's Day is a holiday that occurs each year on the Saturday before Mother's Day. It is not a well known holiday, but we continue to strive to bring awareness to this special day and to these special women. Birth Mother's Day originated in 1990 when a group birth mothers in Seattle, WA felt the need for a specific holiday to honor women who had made the difficult decision to plan adoption for their child. It has never been meant to take away from celebrating these same women on Mother's Day. It was created as an additional holiday to honor and bring awareness specifically to birth mothers.
Tuesday evening at Gladney we did just that. We honored these women - some who had just placed their child in the arms of adoptive parents a few short weeks ago and others who had made their adoption plan 19 or more years ago. The connection that these women have with each other is timeless. Ask them and they will tell you that whether it was 2 weeks or 19 years ago they have a connection to others who have made the same choice. Joining us in the celebration were also many family and friends- husbands, parents, grandparents, boyfriends, and coworkers. So many people showing their love and support. Gladney's President, Frank Garrott, shared a bit of his adoption story with the group and our guest speaker, Margo Johnson, shared her story, insight and wisdom as not only a birth mother, but an adoptive parent as well. It was a beautiful and memorable evening.
If you are a birth parent and have questions or would like to talk with someone, please don't hesitate to contact me at heather.rogers@gladney.org.
Happy Birth Mother's Day!
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