Waiting Down Here

The Process of Giving Birth from the Heart

Death by Friendly Fire

Harmony Internally & Vivaciously + (HIV+)

The Process of Giving Birth from the Heart

Open your heart and open your home to a child

It starts with a desire of the heart and intertwines with a decision to make a commitment to mankind. The initial call to the counselor is the true moment of conception…the seed has been planted and the child takes on form. During the attending of classes, completing paperwork, getting physicals, and home visits, the child's arms, legs, and body begin to develop.
As a room is prepared for the child's arrival, each waiting parent can vividly imagine their child's face. Their bright eyes, small nose, and defined lips can clearly be seen with each stroke of the paintbrush, cartoon decorations put up on the wall, and the careful making of their bed. The child's laughter can be heard in the room and the consoling of their fearful cries echo in your mind. Then, time seems to creep…you wait, you anticipate, you wonder, you worry, you doubt. At last, the call comes, the water breaks, and your child is born.
Perhaps your child comes as a baby small enough to cradle in your arms or legs long enough to run through grassy meadows, either way, your child is born…born from the heart and the bonding begins. You embrace your child and make a vow to love, protect, nurture, and teach them how to believe in themselves and know they are loved, know they are wanted, and know that they are yours and God's child.
Congratulations on the birth of your child - you've opened your heart and you've opened your home.

Written by Damita E. Shaw for all adoptive parents now and to come. Copyright © 2002