September is my birthday month, and I am so grateful for all of the birthday wishes and messages I’ve received!! Thank you to everyone who took a moment to celebrate with me and for sending some love my way.
September also brings a shift for Adoption Mosaic. As we move into fall, we begin a new season of courses, restart our We the Experts Adoptee Speaker Series, and launch a new professional development program, creating even more opportunities for learning, connection, and conversation.
Our Transracial Parenting course begins next week on September 15th, and is one example of that work. Created by transracial adoptees for adoptive parents, the course provides space to explore race, identity, and the realities of being the parent to a person (of any age) of a different race. It isn't about getting everything right; it’s about being willing to learn, examine our assumptions, and continue growing with an open mind and heart. Good parenting requires us to roll our sleeves up, and parenting across race requires a special type of intentionality and humility.
In October, our Seasoned Parents course begins, offering adoptive parents of adult adoptees a space to continue that learning and engage with the complexities of adoption as their children move through adulthood. As we grow, our questions and consciousness grow more complex. It’s important for parents to keep growing as well.
I’m also incredibly excited to have launched our new Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Program! This has been a project in the works for YEARS, and has already begun to bring adoptee-centered education to more professionals working in and around adoption. We’ve started with a selection of seven of our We the Experts panels, and are excited about the possibilities this creates for making adoptee expertise part of ongoing professional learning. Save the date for November 12th! We’ll be celebrating this launch with a special virtual event and sharing more of what’s to come.
This connects beautifully with our upcoming We the Experts speaker series, The Constellation: Doing the Work. This Saturday, September 12th, members of the adoption constellation will share their perspectives on what doing the work means to them, what it can look like in practice, and how we can each contribute to shifting the adoption narrative and centering adoptee experiences.
There is no finish line when it comes to doing this work. There are always more questions to ask, more perspectives to listen to, and more opportunities to do better. I’m grateful to be surrounded by people who are willing to keep showing up for that process.
As I begin another year of my life, I’m carrying a lot of gratitude with me… for this community, for the people who continue to challenge and inspire me, and for the opportunity to keep learning right alongside you.
