TO THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE ME ... BY REBECCA CHEEK I am not a history buff. I never have been. But this summer, I attended my first adoptee conference, The…
CONVERSATION WITH CLAUDIA BY REBECCA COHEN I’d been watching her, this girl, my stepdaughter, for three years. Feeling her. Feeding her. Here she was, curled at the other end of…
MEMORY BY AUDREY B Adopting parents, adapting child, “coming out of the fog,” You carried and left me there. What if I never had to enter the haze? Can I…
DEAR PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE PARENT BY MICHELLE MADDEN Dear Prospective Adoptive Parent, It’s exciting to think about building a family through adoption, I know. You think of the many possibilities and…
The Imposter in the Mirror BY LORAH GERALD I was raised an adopted, only child. Growing up without any connection to a DNA relative left me without biological mirroring. I…
Message in a Bottle By Sara Streeter The journal was a gift to the girl. Her best friend had embellished the simple composition notebook with photos and poetry glued to…
TAKE ME HOME BY DARYN WATSON My favorite all-time song is “Take Me Home” by Phil Collins. I first heard this song when I was fourteen years of age, living…
Mirrors, Windows, and Doors BY ERICA CURRY VAN EE The purpose of a mirror is to reflect a clear and accurate image. We look into mirrors to see the truth…
BECAUSE OF SEX BY SUSANNA DRBAL Trigger Warning: This story alludes to sexual assault and rape. One thing Tammy knew: she existed because of sex. She knew how babies were…
WHAT'S IN A NAME? BY HAIKU KWON What’s in a name?A name… My name… What’s in my name? Does a name change a face?A life?A destiny? Does a name give value?Or take…