Peace in the Process - Kristin Hill Taylor

The first-year teacher was discussing the life cycle of a mammal with a dozen first- and second-graders when she drew upon comparison to shield the bulk of the bird and the bees talk: “You know, like you were born from your mom.”


My daughter Cate decided to inform her class: “I wasn’t in my mom’s belly. I’m adopted.”
I’m sure she caught her teacher, who was just twenty-two years old, off guard. But that was that.


But the story said more to me.


It made me thankful Cate recognizes her birth story is different than most of her friends yet she isn’t ashamed to share it. Being adopted is normal for her because we’ve talked about it since the day she was born. These are the conversations we have regularly, each time revealing more details about her birth mom, our time with this young woman who helped us have a family, and her birth we witnessed.

In 2013, Cate wanted to know more about the seven nights we spent in the hotel waiting for the interstate adoption paperwork to be approved by folks in Indianapolis and Frankfort, Kentucky. I showed her pictures of her birth mom for the first time on her sixth birthday. It was the sweetest, most revealing adoption conversation we had shared up to that point.


This topic is an ongoing dialogue around our house. The word “adoption” has long been in Cate’s vocabulary, but we gradually elaborated on the details of her story with her. From the time they were just days old, strangers have told us how much Cate looks like me or Ben resembles my husband’s family. Sometimes we grin and nod. Other times we let them in on this story of ours.


My husband and I are raising a girl who remembers details and isn’t afraid to tell the truth along with a boy who embraces life to its fullest. We’re bringing up two of the best things God has ever done for us. Adoption is the story of how we became a family. It’s one I will tell over and over as long as someone listens. And now I’m glad to know my girl will tell it, too.


*****


Cate is my oldest of my three kids, all of whom were adopted as newborns through domestic, private processes. She’s 10 now. Her brother is Ben, who turns 8 this month, and Rachel, who is 2. I tell the story of how God made us a family – and built my faith through doing so – in my book, “Peace in the Process,” which is available on Amazon. This post is an excerpt from that book.

Kristin Hill Taylor believes in seeking God as the author of every story and loves swapping these stories with friends on her porch. She lives in Murray, Kentucky, with her husband and three kids and shares stories at kristinhilltaylor.com.

Book link – bit.ly/PeaceInTheProcess