Love is more powerful than the blood that surges through our veins. People who are not familiar with adoption don’t always understand that a child doesn’t have to be biologically related to be part of a family. People often misinterpret the fact that it doesn’t matter what skin color a child may be or what background a child has. Yes, there is a long legal process adoptive parents have to proceed through, but that doesn’t matter. All a child needs is love; we all need love to live our lives. Being adopted is an amazing, unique relationship. Yet sometimes, a child who is adopted faces situations that are hurtful or judgmental, unlike other children who are biologically related to their parents. All aspects of life have their advantages and disadvantages, adoption works the same way. The key is to balance the good with the bad and create a beautiful masterpiece.

The topic of adoption can be a sensitive subject for some people, but I am perfectly comfortable with sharing my experiences with others. I was adopted from Guatemala when I was 14 months old. Guatemala is a third world country about the size of Tennessee and is located in Central America. I was adopted at a young age, so I don’t have any memories of where I was born or who cared for me when I was living there. My biological mother was 17 years old when she gave birth to me on December 17, 1997. I was placed into foster care when I was around four months old. My foster parents were Magdalena and Jorge. Obviously, it would be very hard for any teenager to care for a newborn, yet alone a young woman living in a third world country. I was fortunate enough to be placed into foster care and not an orphanage. Children in a foster home receive better care than children in an orphanage. Although I had food, shelter, and water, I didn’t have many toys or material items that most children acquire when they’re little. My adoptive mom told me that I had only one doll and that was it. My foster parents took really good care of me with the money my adoptive parents were providing which was sent through the adoption agency. My parents sent Christmas gifts during the holidays, but someone along the way stole items that were sent to me, so I missed out on some simple pleasure that a baby can have. The adoption agency didn’t have any information about my biological father. In Guatemala, children were not eligible for adoption if birth fathers were involved. At the moment, I don’t have the desire to know my birth mother personally or have any contact with her. I don’t even know if she’s alive I assume she is, but I have no way of knowing. I have many questions about my birth parents, yet my questions don’t have to be answered right this moment. I am very happy just living my life the way it is.

Fortunate is not even a meaningful enough word to describe how grateful I am to be adopted. I was given the opportunity that every child deserves, a home and love. I was welcomed into the Amery community and my family with open arms. My church even threw a Welcome Home party in my honor. Although I did experience some situations in my earlier school years where I was faced with hurtful comments. It’s not that people of the Amery community are racist, it’s just some people don’t always know the right things to say or don’t always understand the circumstances. One incident that I remember distinctly was in second grade. One particular day, my classmates and I were learning about Martin Luther King Jr., and when the teacher said that he was African American, everyone in the room turned to look at me. That same day we learned about slavery and one of my classmates told me that if I was alive back then I would’ve been a slave. I told this person that I’m not African American. They said to me that it wouldn’t have mattered, because I’m not white. I went home in tears that day because I was so upset that my classmates looked at me funny just because I was a different color than them. So my mom asked my teacher if it would be okay if we could give my classmates a lesson about who I was and where I came from. The next day my mom and I brought in the video tape of the day her and my dad met me for the first time, and when we arrived at the airport. Also we showed my classmates where Guatemala was located on the map and we showed them memorabilia from Guatemala. Educating my classmates about myself and Guatemala allowed them to have a better understanding about my ethnicity and where I was born. Now, I’m happy to answer their questions. Telling people that I’m adopted is a great conversation starter.

There are so many more wonderful qualities about being adopted, than there ever will be negatively. It seems that being part of a family that doesn’t represent physical characteristics puts even more emphasis on personality characteristics. I learned at a very young age that it doesn’t matter what’s on the outside, it only matters what’s on the inside.
When I was little I used to cry and get so upset because I would tell my mom, “You’re not my real mom.” She would take my finger and poke her arm and say, “Do I feel real to you?” Then she would tell me, “Daddy and I love you more than you know and that’s all that matters.” Today, I get a laugh out of when people, who don’t know I’m adopted, ask me what physical characteristics are resembled in me from my parents. My parents love me to more than I will ever know, and there’s nothing more special than their love.

Family is not about the color of your eyes or having the same nose. Family is about having people in your life that love and care about you. I and thousands of kids around the world are so grateful to be adopted, yet so many kids are waiting to be adopted and want someone to love them. Everyone deserves a home and love. That’s why we all need to appreciate our family and the people who care about us. Love breaks through every barrier. Nobody has to have the same blood type, or come from the same place. Love is the blood of relations, and nobody can ever take the beauty of that away.