Eight Years Ago an Angel Gave Birth to My Daughter

I have been her mom for around 2,920 days, add a couple extra for the leap years.

I have provided comfort and care, lessons again and again, and I have offered absolutely nothing as much as I have given love, acceptance, and gratitude.

The honor to be hers is mine, and it’s by no small miracle that she made it to me. Eight years ago today, I was in the delivery room as an angel gave birth to my girl. Within our first moment together, I knew I was everything she needed, and I could recognize that she was everything I needed too.

While holding my daughter, gaining an entirely new life, I had no idea what I was in store for but I could feel that what was happening with her and I was also happening within a space of deep loss and tenderness as my daughter’s birth mom was right then, losing so much.

I got through the gravity of the situation by standing confidently by her bedside, holding her hand with my right, and my daughter over my heart with my left. I can remember having electric moments of eye contact with everyone in the room, but I can’t remember anyone’s sounds besides mine, my daughter’s gentle breathing and the words hero birth mother and I exchanged.

In the years since our adoption journey turned into finalized forever family, our understanding of Seeley and the things that make her life incredibly tough and super magical have come into focus.

In response to this, my husband and I have vowed to lift the veil on lives like ours because there are many families living a similar journey.

Seeley has a complex history, but we all do, and accepting hers comes easy when you realize that she has a deep purpose to change the world as those she shares it with.

This year, I pray that if her birth mother finds this post, on an annual check of what’s happening, that she is proud.

I hope she is proud of the girl Seeley is becoming.

My eight year old works harder than anyone I have ever known, just to fit into this world.

In us, she has inspired a fight that we can’t back down from.

I hope that if she has spent any time feeling guilt, that instead, she challenges herself this year to be an advocate like our girl.

Tell the people you need help when you do, just like Seeley is learning to do. Find support and free yourself of shame, but vow that you will help others to make informed choices.

Accepting ourselves, as we are and expecting growth of ourselves and those we surround ourselves with, is truly the only way through.

And if you are reading this, know that today, we are celebrating all that she is, just like every day. We fight through the hard, smooth our trail as best we can while we cut a new path for folks behind us, and carry on knowing we will all be better for having each other. Oh, and thank you for allowing her to rock our world.