Creativity is not a competition

[shennettt]

Father's Day from an Adoptee's Perspective

Father’s Day from an Adoptee’s Perspective

Four years ago today, I was in YiYang, China starting the search for my birth parents. It seems like forever ago at this point. I spent today reflecting on Father’s Day and what it means personally to me.

Growing up, I’ve always considered myself as someone who has two moms and three dads. I have my birth mom and my mom and I have my birth dad, dad, and heavenly father. My sister sent me the…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

A Chinese Adoptee Addressing Adoption & Rehoming

A Chinese Adoptee's Letter to Myka Stauffer

Dear Myka Stauffer,

Should I approach as Influencer to Influencer? Adoptee to (former) adoptive mom? Human to human? What would speak louder to you?

My name is Taylor. I am new to influencing but I have many years of experience in social media marketing. I know what it’s like to get those special brand collaborations. To find your special niche where other people look to you as an expert.…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Happy Mother’s Day

Two mothers,

Two worlds.

One mother gave life to a little girl,

One mother raised the little girl.

One mother never heard the cries of her child,

One mother comforted the child with her own tears.

One mother could never heal the scars that were formed,

One mother healed the scars with her love and care.

Two mothers,

Two worlds.

One mothers absence is a new…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Wait

November celebrates National Adoption Month. Please use this month to listen to adoptees and our stories. For me, waiting has become a large part of my adoption story.

Dear Birth Mother,

Did you wait?

Did you wait to find out my gender? Or did you wait until I was born?

Did you wait to decide whether or not you were going to keep me?

Did you wait to see what I looked like? Or were you not given that choice?

Did you wait after I was placed at the doorstep of the orphanage to see if I was safe?

Did you wait to see if you could catch a…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Gotcha Day

Twenty-two years as a Shennett. Happy Gotcha Day 💕

Two families and two countries.

A heart aches for the unknown. A heart bursts from the joy of my forever family.

Two identities intertwined together pulling me both ways.

Two families. One that gave me life and hope and the other that gave me joy and a home.

One thing ties the two worlds together.

Love.

Happy gotcha day

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Father's Day

Father’s Day

Have you ever noticed how adoptees always talk about their birth mother but not their birth father? The bond we experienced with our birth mothers before birth in undeniable but there is also a bond with our birth fathers – though it might not be as strong for some adoptees. For me, I’ve never spent a lot of time thinking about my birth father. At times I find myself thinking about what he might…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

November 15th

November 15th.

A day dedicated to my birth mother and also my mother.

The day the orphanage found me at the doorsteps.

The day that meant I would soon be a Shennett.

One mother’s loss and yet another mother’s gain.

Two mothers making their choice out of love.

One daughter that would forever love both.

A day that marked the last time I saw my birth mother’s face.

A day that marked the beginning of…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Zàijiàn Měiguó!

Zàijiàn Měiguó! I have some exciting news for the upcoming year!

Zàijiàn Měiguó!

First, Happy National Adoption Month! November marks a month full of celebrating adoption and raising awareness about the thousands of children that are still in foster care that are in need of a home. Be on the lookout for more posts regarding this!

Secondly, I’m excited to announce that I will be spending my last semester of college studying in Shenzhen. Funny enough my mom and…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Did you ever?

Do you ever wonder about the unknown? Do you ever have a thousand unanswered questions running through your mind? As an adoptee, I have a thousand and one questions and this is only a glimpse.

Dear Birthmother, 

Did you ever use to wonder what I would look like?

Did you ever use to wonder if I would get your eyes or his sense of humor?

Did you ever spend nights dreaming of my future?

Did you ever dream of how we could spend our days together?

Did you ever look back on the day we parted?

Did you ever regret that moment?

Did you even know that I was left on those steps?

Dear Birthmother, 

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Going Public New Year's Eve, I made the decision to "Go Public" with my faith by being baptized at my church, HighPoint. Christians considered being baptized as the public declaration of your faith. Below is my baptism video.

[shennettt]

This I Believe - Adoption

This I Believe explores what I truly believe in and expresses those beliefs. I chose to focus my statement on my adoption.

My Emerging leader’s class required me to write a This I Believe statement similar to NPR’s series (which encouraged people to define they believe in). Below is the statement I wrote for my class and wanted to share with the rest of you.

THIS I BELIEVE – ADOPTION

  Twenty-one years ago, an unknown mother made a life-changing decision. A decision that would both tear a family apart and yet, also,…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Birthdays and Adoptees

There seems to be an anniversary reaction (also felt by the birth mother), which sends many adoptees into despair around their birthdays… – Nancy Verrier “The Primal Wound”

Twenty-one years ago, I was born. Twenty-one years ago, I was with my birthmother. Twenty-one years ago, I was placed in the orphanage at two days old.

As I sit here writing, I can’t help but wonder if my birth mother is…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Siblings? Cousins? Is anyone out there?

Siblings? Cousins? Is anyone out there?

Do you ever just look at social media and wonder if you’ll run across a sibling or someone who resembles you in the least bit? Every time I look at my adoptee facebook groups, I wonder, is my sister (or brother) on here? Every time a parent posts a picture of their daughter I wonder, could that be my cousin? I find myself scanning each photo looking for some feature that looks like me. Almost…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Siblings? Cousins? Is anyone out there?

Siblings? Cousins? Is anyone out there?

Do you ever just look at social media and wonder if you’ll run across a sibling or someone who resembles you in the least bit? Every time I look at my adoptee facebook groups, I wonder, is my sister (or brother) on here? Every time a parent posts a picture of their daughter I wonder, could that be my cousin? I find myself scanning each photo looking for some feature that looks like me. Almost…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Messages from Adoptees

A few months back China’s Children International (the agency my parents used to adopt me) sent a mass email out to all of the children adopted through them.  The agency wanted to create a book of thoughts from Chinese adoptees for birth parents, other adoptees, and to adoptive parents to see whats going through adoptees’ heads. I jumped on the opportunity to share my thoughts with others. Below…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Messages from Adoptees

A few months back China’s Children International (the agency my parents used to adopt me) sent a mass email out to all of the children adopted through them.  The agency wanted to create a book of thoughts from Chinese adoptees for birth parents, other adoptees, and to adoptive parents to see whats going through adoptees’ heads. I jumped on the opportunity to share my thoughts with others. Below…

View On WordPress

[shennettt]

Thoughts from an Adoptee The most frequent question I get is, "what does it mean to be adopted?" Being adopted can mean a lot of things.