Open Adoption

Legacy of An Adopted Child
Brenda Romanchik


Once there were two expectant mothers.
One carried and cared for you beneath her beating heart,
She became your Birthmother.
The other carried the hope of you within her.
She became your Mom.
As the days passed, and you grew bigger and stronger,
Your Birthmother knew that she could not give
You all you needed after your birth.
Meanwhile, your Mom was ready and waiting for you.


One day your Birthmom and your Mom found each other.


They looked into each other’s eyes and saw a friend.
Your Birthmom saw the life your Mom could give you.
Your Mom saw how much your
Birthmom loved and cared for you.


They decided that what you needed was both kinds of love in your life.


So now you have two families,
One by birth, the other by adoption.


And you have a home where you can get:
Your questions answered,
Your boo boos bandaged,
your heartaches soothed,
And much needed hugs.


And a place where you can find:
answers to your questions,
your image in the mirror,
a part of yourself,
And much needed hugs.


Two different kinds of families
Two different kinds of love
Both a part of you.


Before we started pursuing adoption, the thought of an open adoption scared us.  It was a foreign idea; one that required education.  The adoption training we attended, along with several different books, have been a great resource and have made us excited about the idea of having a relationship with the birth mother.  How wonderful it would be for our child to know their birth family and have the opportunity to get any questions they have answered.  I think this poem does a perfect job of describing the role each family can play in the child's life.