My Valentine
Twenty-six years ago I was engaged to one of the most beautiful girls I had ever known. It was no secret she was out of my league. In fact, the only reason…
Tag
Adoption
Rainbows and Unicorns Should Erase Adoption Scars
There really is a beautiful and almost magical side to our adoption stories. We wanted our daughters badly. Our sons wanted little sisters, too. We painted bedrooms and bought new clothes. We…
What to do When Your Team Loses the Super Bowl
As Seen in Huffington Post Jack has his share of challenges. His life began by being born with Down syndrome, to a fourteen year old mother who knew that she wasn’t ready…
When Denney Learned the Truth
As Seen on Adoption.net “Get him a stress ball!” they said. “It will help him!” they said. My son, Denney was ten when he finally mustered the courage to ask us how…
A Child is Even More Tired of Waiting for You
My wife, Amy and I had three sons biologically before her childbearing days were over. We had always dreamed of having daughters to go along with our sons, and we weren’t ready…
Is Adoption Better or Worse Than a Real Family?
As Seen In Huffington Post Okay, I admit it. It was a trick question. What is the fixation with the word “real?” Who are the “real” parents; first parents, or adoptive parents?…
Whoosh! There Went my New Year's Resolution.
Jack and Emily Simmons The road to hell, good intentions… blah blah blah. I had a lot of things I needed maintain, even get ahead on over the next several months because…
Never Give up Hope
(As Seen on Adoption.net) Never give up hope. But when you do give up hope, never give up trying. Emily was our challenge. We knew she would be from the day that…
You're not my Dad!
(As Seen in Huffington Post) You’re not my dad! Touché! Alright, what do you do next? You had better take a deep breath and pause… because you’re in a fight that won’t…
Rare and Precious Moments when Intellectual Disabilities Fade
Annie just before her Junior Prom I hadn’t realized that the song had been on continuous repeat for the better part of an hour. I had been reliving a perfect moment in…
Russia in a Parallel World
Foreword: What if nature had turned the tables? What if Russia had been the last surviving Superpower? What if it was the Western economy that hadn't survived and the United States had…
My Daughter Made Santa Claus Cry
This Story is Available on Huffington Post. Santa couldn't stop crying as he hugged my daughter tightly. Then, he said the only thing he could: "I'll see what I can do, Sarah.…