I was adopted twice. In the first year of my life fate brought my adopted mother and I together in an unconventional way, and at the age of 5, I was adopted by her and my first adopted father. 16 years later, I was adopted again by my stepfather, who had become my primary father figure. The adoption process in my adult years was unconventional as well. In fact, after nearly two years of attempts and a final, dramatic courtroom session, the results of our adoption journey set a new precedent for adult adoptions in Canada. THE FIRST TIME In…

As an adoptee with a mixed-race background, I am constantly asked questions about where I come from, what my parents look like, and why I look the way I do. And while these seem like simple everyday questions to most, questions like these make me a little nervous about sharing the truth – that I don’t look like my parents because I was adopted. Adoption: Skirting The Questions Growing up, the fact that I was adopted was something that I felt awkward sharing with people. Because I have a unique look, people would constantly ask me: “what are you?” or “where…

I’ve been very open about my experiences as an adoptee. I’ve shared my story of how an ad in a newspaper led to my adoption. I’ve shared the story of my unexpected reunion with my biological father, and what happened when I discussed adoption with my eldest when she was five. But while I’ve been candid with my friends and followers about my stories of adoption, I haven’t been so open and honest with my children. My mom used to dance around the subject of adoption when talking to strangers. “Oh, her father was African” she would say when confronted about my ethnicity. I didn’t really…

For most of my life, I hadn’t thought about my birth parents – where I came from, who they were, or why they had chosen to give me up. For me, the only thing that mattered was that I had parents who loved me – who chose to be my parents. When I met my biological father just over three years ago, I was overwhelmed by his reaction to reconnecting with me. He spoke as though he had known me and loved me for my entire life – this “stranger” who hadn’t crossed my mind even once as I had transitioned through childhood and…

The other day, this tear-jerker of a video came across my Facebook feed (watch it until the end, and make sure you have kleenex on hand). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMs7dkdO4YY Not only was it the cause of many tears, but the video sparked a slew of comments about pet adoption and abuse, and shed light on a big problem in regards to animal welfare that needs to be addressed. Children love puppies (and kittens for that matter), and it can be easy to give in to their sweet little pleas to add a furry friend to the family. But just like the decision to have another…

This year I had the opportunity to work on the fourth annual Leading Moms event – a day full of inspiring talks from extraordinary moms. As always, the speaker lineup was filled with an array of  diverse women, all invited to share their stories and experiences with an engaged audience. Every year, whether I’ve attended as a guest or as a member of the event organizing team, I’ve always left the event feeling connected and inspired, and I’m sure this year’s event did not disappoint. While I was unable to attend the actual event this year, there were some negative comments…