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From Our Readers

Adoption Thank you for the series “Adoption—The Joys, the Challenges.” (May 8, 1996) I am an adopted child, and I never knew how to talk about this subject with my adoptive parents. It was therefore thrilling to receive this issue of Awake! No articles have ever touched my heart so much as these have.

F. R. M., Brazil

I was adopted, and I recently decided to find out what I could about my birth parents. Although I was able to obtain vital statistics about my parents, I also learned that my mother kept me for three months before putting me up for adoption. That hit me very hard! I asked myself, ‘How could she do that?’ Well, the box “Will My Son Look for Me?” gave me a mother’s perspective. How that little article helped me cope!

C. S., United States

The articles were bittersweet for me. I gave up my son 23 years ago. I did so because I knew I couldn’t take care of him. Each day I wonder, ‘How is he? How has his life been? Will I ever see him again?’ The guilt is sometimes overwhelming. But I truly thank Jehovah for his love and mercy.

S. F., United States

Although we have a son of our own, my husband and I have been considering adopting a little girl. The article helped me see the good and the bad and will help us make our decision.

J. G., United States

I got the impression that you were advising against difficult adoptions. But what is to become of such children if they are rejected? Today we do have some problems with our adoptive son. But what sort of problems would such children make for society if they never received the love and security of a family?

D. M., Germany

Our hearts go out to children who have been deprived of the care of loving parents. The articles were written, not to discourage the adoption of “difficult” children, but to encourage couples to “calculate the expense” of doing so, in a realistic way. (Compare Luke 14:28.) Prospective adoptive parents do well to consider if they really have the emotional, spiritual, or financial resources necessary to meet the needs of such children. They should also weigh the possible effects the adoption could have on other children presently at home.—ED.

We have five adopted children, in addition to our three birth children. We have experienced the extreme joy you wrote of and the heartache. All of our children are praisers of Jehovah except our son. After being adopted at age 16, he molested three of our daughters. The adoption agency failed to inform us of his background. One should therefore get as much background information as possible when considering adoption—especially if one is considering taking in an older child. Your articles were well written and plainly presented both sides of the issue.

P. B., United States

It made me very sad to learn that some adoptive parents have had such negative experiences. My husband and I adopted two beautiful children, and they have brought nothing but joy to our lives. We have always been open with them about their adoption. We helped each of them to understand that their birth mothers did not ‘give them away’ but arranged for their care because they were unable at that time in their lives to care for a child. People often tell us how fortunate our children are to have been adopted by us. However, the truth is that we are the fortunate ones.

B. M., United States