May 1, 2017
Hello.
Mother’s Day this year is celebrated on Sunday, May 14th. To me this a very important day, but then again, to be honest, as an adoptive mother, every day is Mother’s Day to me. As I have mentioned in my blog several times, adopting my daughter was the best decision I ever made and I am so thankful to have my sweet 12-year-old daughter in my life. The last 9 years of my life have been the best and the most important years of my life. In this blog, I want to touch upon the many different emotions and ways that both adoptive families and birth parents celebrate Mother’s Day.
Perhaps many of you are not aware that there is a special day that is celebrated just for birth mothers that have chosen adoption. National Birth Mother’s Day was established in 1990 by Mary Jean Wolch-Marsh to show support for birth mothers like herself who chose to move forward with the brave, selfless and loving act, called adoption.
National Birth Mother’s Day is observed the Saturday before Mother’s Day. This day has been set aside as a day for birth mothers to acknowledge and support one another. It is a day to recognize the biological mothers of adopted children and the sacrifices they have made for their children.
While the day originated as a day of solidarity, education, and compassion, it has evolved and is now thankfully viewed as a celebration of the life a birth mother has brought into the world and has chosen to share with another family.
There is so much more to Mother’s Day for me because my journey to motherhood included adoption. Therefore, my Mother’s Day is also a day of thanksgiving. My journey may have been different from most but I am so appreciative of Birth Mothers because they are so selfless and courageous. They have made life affecting and heart wrenching choices in order for their biological child to have a stable life with another family. Even though they made this choice willingly, I know it was not done lightly.
Therefore, this Mother’s Day, as I have done in years past, I am sending so much love and gratitude to the entire amazing woman that have chosen adoption and have blessed families. Adoption is a true miracle.
Happy Mother’s Day to all our Birth Mother’s and all of our Adoptive Mother’s!
Christy Ikeler, Executive Director & Birth Parent Case Worker, Adoption Choices of Colorado