Do you watch This is Us? It is my favorite show right now, but I have to admit I have to be in the right mood to watch it, because it is rare that I don’t end up in tears during an episode. I haven’t yet watched this week’s episode (I was too exhausted to cry last night), but the first episode of this season was SO GOOD. In that episode they discussed COVID and the racial tensions of 2020, and the impact of these events on a close-knit family that includes a 40 year old Black man who was adopted at birth by this family. This episode also touched on Alzheimer’s/Dementia, and broken relationships within that family. Many of these topics really hit home for me when I watched it, and I’m pretty sure I cried for about an hour afterwards.
I’m always curious who the writers are working with for guidance on adoption (or if one of them is actually an adoptee) because I feel like they portray the adoption-related segments so well (at least as much as I know as only an adoptive parent). Not to do too much of a spoiler, but Beth and Randall had a conversation where Beth said to Randall (the transracial adoptee) that he was “born out of tragedy”, when he was adopted at birth by a Caucasian family after the death of his biological mother during childbirth.
It is so easy for members outside of the adoption triad or not familiar with adoption, and even some unprepared adoptive parents to think about only the positive “rainbows and unicorns” side of adoption. So I wanted to focus on these words “born out of tragedy…” to remind ourselves that adoption does typically begin with some brokenness – some event that is causing an expectant mom or expectant family to not be able to parent that child. Now adoption CAN be beautiful and has some positive elements, I’m not saying it is not. But it is important to remember the origin, and the impact that origin has on all members of the triad, but particularly the adoptee. If you are a hopeful adoptive parent, you need to see and try and understand this in order to be a good parent to your child.
So, my quick recommendation today is to go watch This is Us if you haven’t already. It is so good in so many ways. But be prepared for a good cry!!!
Do you watch This is Us? It is my favorite show right now, but I have to admit I have to be in the right mood to watch it, because it is rare that I don’t end up in tears during an episode. I haven’t yet watched this week’s episode (I was too exhausted to cry last night), but the first episode of this season was SO GOOD. In that episode they discussed COVID and the racial tensions of 2020, and the impact of these events on a close-knit family that includes a 40 year old Black man who was adopted at birth by this family. This episode also touched on Alzheimer’s/Dementia, and broken relationships within that family. Many of these topics really hit home for me when I watched it, and I’m pretty sure I cried for about an hour afterwards.
I’m always curious who the writers are working with for guidance on adoption (or if one of them is actually an adoptee) because I feel like they portray the adoption-related segments so well (at least as much as I know as only an adoptive parent). Not to do too much of a spoiler, but Beth and Randall had a conversation where Beth said to Randall (the transracial adoptee) that he was “born out of tragedy”, when he was adopted at birth by a Caucasian family after the death of his biological mother during childbirth.
It is so easy for members outside of the adoption triad or not familiar with adoption, and even some unprepared adoptive parents to think about only the positive “rainbows and unicorns” side of adoption. So I wanted to focus on these words “born out of tragedy…” to remind ourselves that adoption does typically begin with some brokenness – some event that is causing an expectant mom or expectant family to not be able to parent that child. Now adoption CAN be beautiful and has some positive elements, I’m not saying it is not. But it is important to remember the origin, and the impact that origin has on all members of the triad, but particularly the adoptee. If you are a hopeful adoptive parent, you need to see and try and understand this in order to be a good parent to your child.
So, my quick recommendation today is to go watch This is Us if you haven’t already. It is so good in so many ways. But be prepared for a good cry!!!
