CEO & founder Michele Fried gives an honest account of what it means to work in the adoption field.
Working in adoption means so many different things to us. It means having the opportunity to be a part of a journey that is extremely intimate. It means connecting with many different people. It means having professional ethics and a deep understanding of people in general. It means that we are committed to assessing and evaluating ourselves and our own families and that is, and sometimes is not, a good thing!
Being in the adoption field has allowed us to be better parents, or caretakers and surprisingly to develop a sense of humor. Maybe due to the stress and decades of gut-wrenching lack of sleep where many of us have worried about someone or something that we had no control over. It has meant that we have learned to find the silver lining in even the hardest moments otherwise we would always be crying.
Yes, we people in the adoption field, social workers or not, analyze behavior, discuss situations at length and yes, it can be tiring and we are reminded by loved ones that we need to sometimes, "let things go."
It means that not everyone will like us, not everyone will “get” what we do or why we do it. Some probably see us as annoying or as do-gooders, and sometimes the latter is worse. We have honestly been asked by more than one person including people in our own family, “Why do you work in the adoption field?”
We are willing and able to work and help people that others would never imagine working with. We are willing and able to inform others why our work is so important. We are willing and able to provide education and information to anyone who will listen.
Yes, it often means we are on a soapbox. We educate, we advocate; we have pretty loud voices. Sometimes we debate. Mostly we raise awareness. It is a challenge. I guess we like challenges.
Call us crazy. No, please don’t. Call us passionate instead. We embrace it… the commitment, the dedication, the rewards, the stress, the tears, the journey.
Working in the adoption field means we are a part of an awesome profession. At least for me, I could not imagine myself doing anything other than what I am doing today.
Read More by the Adoption STAR Staff:
- Truths about Loss in Adoption by Megan Montgomery
- Making Promises You Can’t Keep by Sue Shaw
- How to Become an Adoption Expert by Alecia Zimmerman
- Rachael Metz, LCSW joins the Adoption STAR Adoptive Parent Department by Rachael Metz
- Basic Principles of Counseling: Focusing on Grief by Wendy Lane
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