The bittersweetness of Mother’s Day

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

The bittersweetness of Mother’s Day

May 8, 2012 by karmavore

I wrote this essay for the May issue of Today’s Parent Magazine (under a pen name) about the bittersweetness of Mother’s Day for me as an adoptive mother.

“Mother’s Day brings to mind fresh flowers, blueberry pancakes and homemade cards. It’s a day to be spoiled and fêted by family. But for me, an adoptive mother, it’s never as simple as the Hallmark holiday it’s touted to be.

Don’t get me wrong: I feel deep joy in my role as mom to my two-and-a-half-year-old son, and I marvel at his giddy joie de vivre. But the way I arrived at motherhood will always be bittersweet. In order for me to become a mom, another mother had to lose a child.”

> Read the rest at Today’s Parent

About these ads

Posted in Adoption | 15 Comments

15 Responses

on May 8, 2012 at 11:23 pm | Reply allison

Wow. Powerful. I love the picture they ran with it also.
- on May 8, 2012 at 11:27 pm | Reply karmavore
  
  The graphic is incredible.
  
  Harriet Fancott harriet@karmavore.com
on May 9, 2012 at 2:09 am | Reply Mother’s Day is hard this year. « Mama C and the Boys

[...] of Mother’s Day and the adoptive parent in an open adoption relationship please see this post from See Theo Run. Share this:StumbleUponMoreEmailTwitterFacebookLinkedInDiggPrintRedditLike this:LikeBe the first to [...]
on May 9, 2012 at 2:17 am | Reply Lorri Lamb

Really great article Harriet; so real, so honest, it’s beautiful.
on May 9, 2012 at 3:22 am | Reply amanda o

that was really touching.
on May 9, 2012 at 3:39 am | Reply Lisa

*LIKE*

(WP is being annoying & won’t let me sign in to just like the post)
on May 9, 2012 at 4:55 pm | Reply Monika Zimmerman

I just love the way you write. Such depth of emotion and you bare it for us all to see. Thank you for sharing your heart. Happy Mother’s Day!
on May 10, 2012 at 1:08 pm | Reply Memoirs of Me & Mine (@memoirsofmine)

Amazing!
Love it!
http://www.memoirsofmeandmine.com/
on May 10, 2012 at 4:19 pm | Reply Kana

Hariett?
I’m Kana.
Do you remember me?
on May 10, 2012 at 4:52 pm | Reply Krista

Thanks for sharing. That is one of the thougths I have too. Although I generally feel that my dtr’s birthmom hasn’t really lost a child because she sees her often and will most likely be a part of her life in some way. Open adoption is so complex…I wish someone write a handbook for us.
on May 11, 2012 at 3:40 pm | Reply deathstar44

I feel exactly the same way.
on May 11, 2012 at 3:46 pm | Reply deathstar44

Part 2 – I just wanted to thank you for sharing this. It certainly does bring back those memories…
on May 13, 2012 at 5:09 pm | Reply Deborah the Closet Monster

Let the tears in my eyes speak to how I feel about this beautiful piece. Thank you.
on May 15, 2012 at 10:45 pm | Reply Maggie Lancaster

Thank you for sharing your personal story so openly and beautifully with us Harriet. I had no idea that you blogged until I spotted your name on Vancouver Mom. Hope you have fun at the event!

Thanks again for sharing.
on May 17, 2012 at 9:41 pm | Reply bitsofbee

I had been meaning to read this story for awhile – so beautifully written! I think people very rarely think of what the experience is like for the biological parents, as the assumption is that they are able to move on from an experience like that without thought or regret. Your little guy is very lucky to be surrounded by so much love