Written by Tracy Kristoff // There is a painting in our daughters’ room that reads: “A family is a circle of people who love each other. –Anonymous.” I imagine this statement reflects many families who have made a conscious choice to expand their lives through adoption. Adoption is a difficult choice for many people. It is … Continue reading Sacred Connections: How Familial Relationships Teach Us to Encounter Others
“It’s Good:” Parenting, Family, and Special Needs
Written by Linda Chan Rapp // I checked the time on my cell phone, and then wrote, “Adjourned 7:04 pm,” on my notes for the self-determination advisory committee minutes. Good, I thought; my committee at Harbor Regional Center was ending almost an hour early! Getting out before 8pm meant I had plenty of time to … Continue reading “It’s Good:” Parenting, Family, and Special Needs
A Healing Community: Disability, the Friendship House, and Home
Written by Katie Robinson // I won’t forget the first time James called me his “little sister.” Now our chosen familial bond seems like a given, though he still harkens back to our bond during key moments in our relationship - like when we break even in a game of pool, when we walk around … Continue reading A Healing Community: Disability, the Friendship House, and Home
A Place of Healing: Seeking Justice Through Adoption
Written by Nancy Langford // We longed to be parents. Little did we know when a phone call came late on a Monday night that the next afternoon we would bring home an almost four-year-old and her 17-month old sister. Because we had no child things in our house, they took over our guest room, … Continue reading A Place of Healing: Seeking Justice Through Adoption
Theme Overview: Family – How those closest to us teach and shape us
Sometimes it’s easy to forget the truth of what can seem like a cheesy Hallmark catch-phrase: family is what makes us who we are. These closest of all social bonds form in different and sometimes surprising ways, and can be for many of us our most consistent community. The writers in this section speak from … Continue reading Theme Overview: Family – How those closest to us teach and shape us
