It
is my belief that many myths exist in adoption, and that these
myths play a huge part in the difficulties we experience when
attempting to bring some awareness and resolution to the affects
that adoption has had on our lives.
As an adoptee, with almost no knowledge of my roots and
biological history, and having spent many years searching even
for the basic facts of my heritage – my natural parents' names –
I am aware that this lack of knowledge can have a devastating
effect on one's self esteem. Even more so for adoptees living in
countries such as the United States of America where this
knowledge is forbidden by law.
I believe that by sharing our personal stories – the truth can
after all only be told through our experience – that we can
begin to heal. It is hard work, much easier to stay in the world
of the myths surrounding adoption: the mother is to blame, she
is bad, deserved to have this happen to her. As long as adoptees
believe this story, with whichever individual embellishments it
is adorned, we will harbour hatred and resentment. What hope is
there of any resolution and real understanding of the truth –
whether in reunion or not – under these circumstances? I hope
that the voices of the mothers who wrote their stories will help
us dispel those myths.
Similarly, we need to speak to the mothers, exiled through no
fault of their own, in the hope that they may derive some
comfort from hearing us. The
Adoptee Stories section is created with this purpose in
mind.
Some new sections which will appear over the course of 2007 will
be a book review. Popular and not so popular titles will be
reviewed, and hopefully some insights will be gained which will
help us with our healing process. Please feel free to submit
titles of books for potential review, or reviews you have made
yourself to
info
[at] stephenfitzpatrick.com *
Enjoy the site, and please send feedback, positive or negative
to the above address!!
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