|
Dear Birthparents,
This has to be one
of the most difficult letters we have ever written. To introduce
ourselves to someone we don’t know in a letter is difficult enough, but
to introduce ourselves to someone who is making the difficult yet loving
decision to plan for adoption is even more difficult.
We are Troy and
Lili. We met 10 years ago through a friend and have been together ever
since. After 3 years of dating, we married on October 14, 2000.
We live in a 3
bedroom home in Indiana. We made the decision to move to our
neighborhood primarily because we were looking for a good place to raise
our children. The neighborhood is a good and safe place for children to
grow and play. We live in a subdivision with sidewalks for children to
walk and ride bikes and we live on a street with a cul-de-sac so there
is relatively little traffic to interrupt children at play.
 Troy
about Lili: The first time I met Lili, I new she was a wonderful
person. I immediately realized that we were a good match because we
shared common interests. Lili is smart, has a great sense of humor and
we have a lot of fun together. More importantly, I quickly learned that
Lili is kind, responsible, hard working, extremely generous and is very
passionate in her concern for others. I have so many wonderful memories
from the past ten years and look forward to every new day that Lili and
I are together.
Lili about Troy:
Marriage was an important decision so I waited a good, long time to make
it. We met at the birthday party of a mutual friend. From our first
meeting I sensed that he was a kind and gentle person and I was right!
As we have grown to know one another through the years, he has proven
himself to be grounded, sincere, honest, responsible, and caring. He
was and is well worth the wait. I picked me a good one!
Troy is part-owner
of a company that manufactures materials for construction projects. As
part owner, Troy also has some flexibility on the job so he can spend
extra time with the family. Lili works as a therapist to provide
therapy to children and families. Her work affords her flexibility with
child care as well.
When we were ready
to start a family, we found that we were having difficulty conceiving a
child, so we decided to create a family through adoption. Lili did not
want to undergo a great deal of fertility treatment. Since we already
knew how wonderful adoption was, it was an easy choice to make. We chose
to adopt from Guatemala and son Edy was born in Guatemala on August 10,
2002. We traveled to Guatemala and adopted him on February 3, 2003. We
never knew we could love someone so much; he fills our lives with
unspeakable joy.
We have wanted to
adopt another child for several years and now feel we are ready to add a
new member to the family. This time we would like to adopt from the
states. We think it would be wonderful to know about the birth family
and meet them and have them involved in their child’s life growing up.
 Having
worked as a therapist with adopted children as well as children in
foster care, Lili knows how crucial the birth family is to children and
so we welcome contact with the birth family. In fact, that is something
we miss from Edy’s adoption. As for Edy’s birth mother, we think about
her constantly, how she is doing, where she is in life, what she thinks
about Edy. It would be so nice to be able to share his life with her.
Edy attends a
Montessori School. The focus of the school is on allowing children to
learn and develop at their own pace. The school is located some 5
minutes away from our home and Edy absolutely loves the school as do we.
He can’t wait to have his little brother or sister come to school with
him.
In our free time,
we like to spend time together as a family working around the house and
in the garden, swimming, camping, going to movies, and going out to
eat. Edy loves to play with Daddy, especially wrestling. While Edy
enjoys playing baseball or soccer in the yard, mostly he loves to make
up games for him and Daddy to play, games which typically involve some
form of wrestling.
Dinner time is a
very important time for our family. During the week, we typically cook
at home and eat together. This gives us the opportunity to talk and
catch up on the day’s events. We can’t wait to share our time and lives
with another child and help them to grow up happy and healthy.
We both have very
large extended families. Lili is the second oldest of four children.
Her father and siblings all live in Louisville, just
across the Ohio River from our home in New Albany. There are lots of
cousins for Edy to play with.
Troy is the middle
child of five children. Even though Troy’s family is spread out, we
typically make at least one visit a year to a member of his family and
his parents visit us at least once a year as well. The whole family is
looking forward to a new member.
Lili has worked
with birth mothers who have made the difficult decision to plan for an
adoption. As a result, she knows the importance of contact with birth
families so we welcome openness in the adoption process if you would
like it. We want you to be comfortable with the type and amount of
contact you have.
We look forward to
showing as much love to another child as we show to Edy. And, just as
with Edy, we would raise another child to understand that through
his/her birth family and adoptive family, it is wonderful to have so
many people love him/her.
We sincerely hope
that you will find the decision that is right for you and your child,
and that regardless of the decision you make, it will bring you a sense
of peace.
Sincerely,
Troy, Lili, and Edy |
