Beth, I've been following your posts for several days, and you've made some very interesting points. It did make me a bit uncomfortable when you almost dared someone to ban you from the site a couple days ago, mainly because I think you have some very valuable insights to contribute. I hope you stay around and become a "regular".
I think we all have different callings in life, things that stir our souls to action. I've tried hard not to get caught up in the politics of adoption, mainly because I don't think that's where my calling is. I am neither pro-adoption nor anti-adoption, although I must admit I'm adamant about the need for adoption reform, including completely open records. I'm just a woman trying to pick up the pieces of my own life, and in the meantime, learning and sharing with my fellow birth/first moms.
I think most of us who post on these forums do so from a point of honesty and a wish to help each other on this journey called life. No matter what each mother's political leanings are toward the adoption process, we all seem to be dealing with a lot of pain. There are similarities among us, no matter if we're anti- or pro-adoption.
Adoption.com has been my refuge these past couple years. I have gotten to know and love people from all sides of the triad. I want to be here for the women who are coming out of hiding from the "closed era" or "baby scoop era". So many of us just buried ourselves when we placed our children for adoption, and many of us need a helping hand when we decide we're getting tired of hurting so much.
I also enjoy sharing with others who are going through the reunion experience. When I reunited with my then-18-year-old son, he was majorly messed up. Back in those years, there were no Internet forums or books to help guide me through the many challenges we encountered. Reuniting with teenagers, especially troubled ones, is a very different ballgame than reuniting with full-fledged adults. So I keep my eyes open for birth/first moms who join up here who are struggling with the same issues I did.
Anyhoo, I hope you stick around. It's always refreshing to listen to other people's opinions and experiences.
