When I was young I got pregnant. This was during the time in my life that I lovingly refer to as my ‘evil rebellious years’. I would fight with my mother for just the sake of fighting and, of course, thought I knew everything about life. I was no longer living in my parents home for precisely these reasons. When I first realized I was pregnant, I was very happy and excited. I went shopping with a friend and bought a teddy bear that was wearing shorts with neon green smiley faces for this little spirit that was growing inside of me. I also ran into an ex-boyfriend’s Aunt shared with her my excitement. She one of the very first people who knew I was pregnant.
It didn’t take long, however, for me to come to the realization that my life was not conducive to raising a child and providing her with a life, I felt, she deserved. I had no job at the time. I was living on a friend’s couch. The future did not look bright. I had to make a very hard decision and I decided to place my baby for adoption.
That same ex-boyfriend’s Aunt and Uncle had not been able to have children together. I called her and asked if she would raise my baby. I really think I shocked her. It is not the kind of call you expect to get. My mother was worried about having someone I knew adopt my baby and asked me to talk to an adoption agency. I did as she asked but it was not a good experience. They actually made threats that if I gave my child to someone of my choosing they would have me charged with child abandonment. What a terrible thing to threaten a 18 year old girl with. I was just trying to do the right thing for this little life that had been created by my actions.
Lawyers got involved and the Aunt and Uncle started the long process of home studies to prove they would provide a safe and loving home for this little soul. I can not speak to everything they went though, in order to adopt this baby, as I was quite a bit removed from the process but it was a lot.
From the time I was 3 months pregnant, I thought of this child growing inside me as their child. I am not sure I could have gone through with letting her go if I had not. When she was born, her mother was at the hospital. They were kind to me at the hospital, putting me in a private room just outside of the maternity ward. During my stay, her mother would come and spend time in my room with her. I remember one morning a well meaning nurse brought the little one into my room for me to give her a bottle. My only guess as to why she did this was because she thought I might want to keep her if I fed her. What this nurse could not have possibly known is that I did want to keep her. I would have loved to have taken her home with me, but I knew I could not offer her the life she deserved.
When I was released from the hospital, her mother drove me home, dropped me off and left with her. It was the first time in 9 months I had been without her. It felt so strange. I will be forever grateful to her mother for doing what I could not do. She loves her, made sacrifices for her, and raised her to be a remarkable woman. I am so proud of the amazing person she has grown to be.
Her mother kept me informed about her life, invited me to events, and allowed her to spend time with my grandparents. I was so amazed in her love and unselfishness. I love her for this.
When I share this story with others they open up with their own stories of placing children for adoption, being adopted, or other adoption stories within their own family. Adoption touches far more people than we realize. I am not embarrassed by my choice to place my baby with a different Mom and Dad. They gave her a better life. It was a decision I made out of love. Just as their choice to welcome this little soul into their life was also made out of love.
And the story continues -> My Daughter’s Mother… Dotties Story (An Adoption Story continued)
Thank you for reading my blog today. May your past choices made from love give you peace, as if by magic.
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Stacy Crep, Adventure Sister 
I have always loved this story. It speaks to the remarkable and wonderful woman you are !!
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Thank you!
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As a child of adoption who benefited from being raised by a wonderful family, your story touched me. I hope some day to be able to tell my biological mother her decision gave me an incredible mother, family and life. I wish my situation would have been more “open,” but that wasn’t possible in the time and place my biologic mother had to make her choices. It probably wouldn’t have been an option for you either, had your head and heart actually been “evil and rebellious.” I suspect you should rename those years to something more akin to “seeking and rebellious.” I had some years like that as well. I turned away for a pretty bright, easy course laid out for me to become Jack Kerouac. I ended up becoming something closer to a bum! Always employed, mind you. But pretty much a bum. Anyway, I had a child way before I was ready and things turned out okay for her and I on a much different path. But I’m digressing – thank you for sharing your adoption story.
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Thank you Jim for your response! Yes, seeking and rebellious probably would be a better name, or pushing to grow and rebellious. I hope someday you can tell your biomom thank you and give her some peace about her choice. I am glad you have a loving family. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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❤
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