I have begun using Facebook quite extensively.  I now have a Facebook Page for Adoption Triad Coach.  Check out the Adoption Triad Coach Page on Facebook!  There will be discussions you can join in on if you are a Fan of the Page.  Blog entries will also show up on the Page.

 Hope you join in!

I will be interviewed by Terri Zelenak, General Manager of CoachVille.  The focus of the interview will be about “tackling high emotional charge niches”.  I will be talking about my Adoption Triad Coach niche (www.adoptiontriadcoach.com).  Terri will ask questions around how I stay objective, how I handle the high emotional energy and stay empathetic, how it is different to build a coaching practice in this niche, etc.

CoachVille Caffeine calls are at 1:00 PM Eastern and are available live by phone AND internet, plus podcast.  Go to CoachVille’s Home Page, find the CoachVille Caffeine section, and click through for details!

Hope you join me on August 11th!  

Tags: leadership, coaching, adoption, emotions, empathy

My own Workshop presentation (the title of it is the title of this Post) is on Saturday morning, March 29th!  I am looking forward to this time of sharing with fellow members of the Triad!  Hope to see you there! 

Tags: adoption, reunion, workshop, triad, family, relationships, post-reunion, relevant, informative, supportive

If you have been considering attending this year’s AAC Conference, don’t wait any longer to register!  This year’s Conference is entitled “Adoption in the Global Community: Redefining Kinship in the 21st Century”.  The Conference dates are March 26-29, 2008.

For complete details, and to register online, go to www.americanadoptioncongress.org. 

I will be conducting a workshop at the Conference on Saturday, March 29th at 8:45 a.m.  ”Post-Reunion Family Relationships Can be Successful” is the title of my workshop.  Join me!

AAC’s 29th International Adoption Conference is entitled “Adoption in the Global Community:  Redefining Kinship in the 21st Century”.  It is being held Wednesday, March 26 - Saturday, March 29, 2008 in Portland, Oregon.

 My workshop is entitled “Post-Reunion Family Relationships Can Be Successful!”  I will be conducting this workshop on Saturday, March 29th at 8:45 a.m.

The entire Conference brochure is now available on AAC’s website at www.americanadoptioncongress.org.  If you are unfamiliar with the AAC, the Mission Statement explains, “The AAC membership is comprised of adult adopted persons, birth parents, adoptive parents, extended birth and adoptive family members, adoption professionals and others whose lives have been touched by adoption.”

 I encourage you to check out their website and to consider attending the 2008 Conference!

 Recently, I was contacted by a lovely lady, ‘Chelle Baxter.  ‘Chelle is an adoptee - reunited with her birth family.  She shared with me some tributes she has written to her adoptive parents.  She also shared other of her own writings, as well as comments from various members of her extended family.  I will, from time to time, include some of her writings on my Posts. 

Today, I am choosing to include some thoughts written by ‘Chelle’s birthfather.  I love it when birthfathers get wholeheartedly involved in the reunion process!  He says:

“Birth parents, I tell you never quit praying, never give up because you don’t  know what God can do for you – he will reunite you if you believe.

 

To the adoptees,  I tell them also to keep searching, don’t give up – if there’s a will there’s a way – to find each other – I mean this is living proof sitting right here!

 

To the adoptive parents – I say keep an open mind – if your child wants to know their birth parents & why,  help them – they are never going to stop loving you for what you’ve done for them.”

Connection.  We all need it and want it.  I hope you find inspiration in this Post.  Please comment!

Why is this topic important to members of the Adoption Triad?  Why am I posting about this on this blog?

• First of all, I am a birth mother.  I am blessed in being reunited with my son.  Various leadership qualities are required in successful reunions.

• Secondly, I am a Christian Life Coach.  As a coach, I work with members of the Adoption Triad.

• Thirdly, I recognize and embrace the fact that as a Christian Life Coach, I am a leader.  That is, I influence others.

Being a leader of excellence is my constant desire.  As a Christian, I want to be certain that my leadership qualities are biblically based.   Are you a leader?  Professionally?  In ministry?  In your personal life?  Do you know what your leadership qualities are?

I will be giving a presentation on this topic at the upcoming “Divine Connections” Christian Coaching Conference - in Florida.  For more information about the Conference, please visit www.christiancoachingconference.com.  I would love to see you there!

Tags: leadership, adoption, triad, influence, influencer, influencing, excellence, inspiration

In this context, as a birthmother, I am a member of an “other group” sharing common characteristics or interests.  I am a member of the adoption triad.  However, I don’t have many acquaintances, who I communicate with on a regular basis, who are also members of the adoption triad.  Blogging is a perfect way to be in community ~ to share some common experiences.  Sharing with one another can be very empowering and freeing!

Friends are divinely placed guardrails. ~ Stu Weber

Some Reasons Why Community Is Important To Me

• I have a compelling story to tell.  I believe some of my story is very inspirational.
• I want to hear about others’ reunion experiences.
• I need to be in community with other birth mothers.
• I want to be supportive and encouraging to other adoption triad members. 

I have many more reasons why the adoption triad community is important in my life.  I will write about them in future posts. 

What about you?  If you have been looking for a place to talk about your experiences as part of the adoption triad community…you have come to the right place!

Why is this Blog for the Adoption Triad important?

1. Build community.  We are meant to be in community - people are relational beings.  And, there is nothing better than being in community with others who have similar experiences and/or a common interest.  I look forward to more and more triad members participating in this special community!

2. Champion a cause.  I am passionate about reaching out to fellow triad members.  Sharing my passion, through this blog, is a way for me to be heard.  I would love to hear about your passions and opinions ~ write a comment to a post!

3. Serve others.  Christian leadership is about serving others with a servant’s heart.  I try to maintain that attitude.  This blog is a vehicle for sharing my own, unique message with other triad members ~ no matter where they are geographically.  I am always hopeful that something I say here will be of support, encouragement, and assistance to someone else.  And, again, that can lead to connection…to community.  It is a very worthwhile endeavor.

Disenfranchised grief is a topic I think about - and, therefore, write about  frequently.  It is a very real part of my life.  My son was born in 1974.  My pregnancy, his birth, and his adoption were all long-held secrets.  Being reunited with my son has enabled me to work through some of my grief over his loss.  The nature of disenfranchised grief causes deep scarring to the soul.  Following are some reasons for this that I, personally, know to be true:

• There is no closure or resolution for the birth mother.  Her baby is  alive - even though she doesn’t know where he is.  Psychologically, it feels more like a death to her.

• She has no one to go to for consolation.  Anyone who knows about her pregnancy prefers to think of her as a non-mother.

• A birth mother’s grief is not seen to be authentic.  Actually, most people don’t even consider the fact that she is grieving.

• She cannot speak about her experience and her loss - nobody wants to hear her.

Points to ponder…