(NOTE: I accidentally nuked the Day 2 blog. It took hours to write, so, since it’s late, I’m throwing this one together and will probably attempt to reconstruct the lost one later. Or not.)
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In the past, the ‘net has been full of nifty ways to celebrate NA(A)M. For several years, one site published a November calendar of fun stuff to do each day of the month. Not surprisingly, it focused on aparent and adoption agency activities, sometimes engaging small, non-consenting adoptees in the hijinks. I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I would have stuck my fingers down my throat and gagged up breakfast if I were told I was being taken to a party at “my” adoption agency. (Disclaimer: I cannot imagine my parents doing that.) As an adult, the only way I would go would be if I could discreetly remove myself from the cake and punch table, sneak into their backroom, and break into their files.
Of course, very little of this fun stuff was posted on the calendar, touched on bioparents or adoptees– and certainly none on adopted adults. I can’t speak for bioparents, but adopted adults lost their cuteness long ago. We’ve lost our angel wings and pink and blue blankees, and picked up the cudgel of adoptee rights. We are (clutch your pearls) at best ungrateful. At worst, possessed by Satan. (I’ve been told I am).
No matter our individual adoption experiences and outcomes, we are angry about the loss of our civil rights, second-class treatment, and dismissal by politicians, policy wonks, and the long line of organizations and individuals across the political spectrum who claim they care about adoption but stop their care when it comes to us. Left and Right, as a whole, are far up each other’s ass. It takes much more work than it should to extract them from their cozy home. In nicer terms, they are practioners of horseshoe theory.
I haven’t found any calendar for this year’s. activities. The National Day page, however, offers a handful of bland suggestions of things to do if you can pull yourself away from your screen. There is nothing on the list that encourages you to do so. Obviously, nothing deals with The Adopted, for which this month in theory, is all about. I’d rather take a Greyhound from Corpus Christi to Chicago than try these. Of course, I do support #6, but not in the way this list implies.
- Visit local adoption agencies or events.
- Learn more about adoption opportunities in your state.
- Share your adoption stories.
- Support adopted couples in their journey to start a family. It is often both a joyous and stressful time with many ups and downs.
- Visit www.childwarefare.gov for more information.
- Use #NationalAdoptionMonth to post on social media.
While I was doing a last-minute check before I posted this, I found the Gift of Adoption website. Oh boy! I bet you can guess who it funds and for what. Here is their fun list with links. Check out the playlist. Just when I thought nothing could upset me. What in the world does Fast Car have to do with adoption? And I’m Gonna Make You Love Me? Good grief!
- Attend an Upcoming Chapter Event
- Participate in our #AFamilyStarts Social Media Fundraising Campaign
- Host a Facebook Fundraiser
- Listen to our Adoption Awareness Month Playlist
- Apply for a Grant
- See Gift of Adoption in the news
Poke the Bear 2026
NABLOPOMO 2026
Day 2 – 28 days to go!