Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Family History

I wrote something for InCulture Parent Magazine. You can read it here.

22 comments:

  1. Julie, just read it, it's beautiful.

    Cindy

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  2. Amazing! Beautifully written! I just have one request - please don't bash the term "Gotcha Day". If you choose not to use the term because it doesn't work for you, that's fine. But for 24 years it's been a very special term and very very special day for our family. Lots of families use the term - let's not criticize each other's choices about how we refer to such a special day. Thanks.

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  3. Beautiful and heartfelt. You're amazing Julie. We too will light a few candles this year.

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  4. Beautiful, Julie. Once again you have turned me into a puddle! We had pancakes after our re-adoption too :-)

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  5. Totally sitting in a Panera with tears in my eyes now. Beautiful, Julie.

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  6. Loved reading your piece -- thank you for sharing it with us all! I too despise "Gotcha Day", and feel you are entitled to your opinion about it, so bash away. If others like it, let them celebrate it with abandon.

    My son was fine on the day we took custody of him. He is a child who has had no grief issues. Maybe he will one day, maybe not. Perhaps that's just his personality. I don't know. Maybe I don't know him well enough yet to say. What I do know is that I was a hot mess that day, filled with anxiety and stress, and that is not a day I choose to celebrate. Remember? Sure. But the day we celebrate is "Family Day" -- the day in May when he was "officially" grafted into our family through his readoption. That's a day worth lighting a candle for.

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  7. I wish I had your way with words. You wrote a great piece, inspiring me as one of those days approachs for my daughter. And reminding me what that day of orange soda and cake was like.

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  8. I wish I had your way with words. As one of those days approaches, you remind me to remember with my daughter. And you remind of that orange soda and cake day...what a day for my daughter, filled with many tears and fear.

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  9. Julie you have a gift with words. The tears started flowing here as well. Thank you so much for sharing this.

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  10. Amazing, beautiful, heartstring-pulling.

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  11. Julie, I loved it. It makes me wonder what day I will end up celebrating one day. It's good that I have this in mind in advance so I can keep it in my awareness.

    As far as Gotcha Day, I am not a fan of that term. I wouldn't use it. That's the nice thing about the world, to each their own. It was your article, published because of your talent, your thoughtful words, all your own.

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  12. Really, really beautifully written. Love you and you words!! xoxo

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  13. Love this, Julie. Please, please, please keep writing.

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  14. Fantastic. I wish I had your way with words. Maybe I could just link to your posts in the future and save time and frustration =) When we finally get our referral I'll comb your archives and link to them on my blog with a note like: "oh, this fine lady says is way better than I ever could..." Many thanks, this was lovely.

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  15. What a lovely article, Julie!

    Claire

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  16. Julie, I am speechless. Your writing is so full of beauty. I've been living "light" these day, as in being too tired or too lame to reflect or go deeper. Thanks for this article. I needed to be reminded to pay attention to the depths. You are a lovely soul.

    xoxo,

    Evelyn

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  17. Amazing. Julie, you truly have such a way with words. We also will not celebrate the day of the farewell party...as you know it was not a happy day for us. This piece came at such a great time, because as we approach A's 2nd birthday, his birthmom is on my mind a lot...we have her candle in our living room, right next to her picture. Thanks for articulating what so many of us have felt.

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  18. what a beautiful tradition you have created. Has me thinking that we have missed out by not celebrating my mom's and my mother-in-law's death...butmaybe we can remedy that.

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  19. I finally read this. Wow, so, so beautiful, Julie, thank you.

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