I was in a domestic violence relationship where we were trying to become parents. We were doing IVF, trying adoption, and woven through all of that was a decade of domestic violence.
In 1959, the woman who brought me into this world bundled me in a basket and placed me in a Hong Kong stairwell near Sai Yeung Choi Street, a bustling region of the British colony. I was 4 days old. A passerby called the police, who transported me to St. Christopher's Home, the largest non-government-run orphanage on the island.
The owner proceeded to her departure gate. Officers approached her and asked why she left the dog. The woman replied that the airline would not allow her to fly with it, according to a police statement. But police said she did not complete the documents required to travel with an animal. Officers charged her with abandoning an animal, among other counts.
Twenty-one-year-old Moez al Shreiti was given up by his Tunisian mother at birth but is absolutely determined to find out where he comes from. His search takes him on a roller-coaster journey to find answers to the question that's dominated his young life. This observational film follows his sometimes painful search with all its obstacles, going to courts and hospitals and trying to get hold of official records.
Stephanie, a fourth-grade teacher, and Jason, an electrical contractor, first turned to adoption in 2017, after struggling with infertility and enduring multiple unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant. That year, they were matched with their son, AJ, just one week old at the time, and now 8. Stephanie described AJ as "the answer to our prayers." "I knew he was created for us," she told Jenna.
I consider my mom the crème de la crème of mothers. She was the involved kind; always pulling out crafts, baking cookies, and making you feel deeply loved. But as a grandma, she's the first to admit things haven't unfolded the way she imagined. I can't think of a time when my three kids, ages 2, 8, and 13, had my parents entirely to themselves.
Elsa is a beautiful little girl, a raucous bundle of excitement and laughter. I am pleased to have seen photos of her. I know from reports that she lights up the space around her. She is happy and settled in her new family, as yet unaware of how she differs from other children. These siblings share something quite extraordinary. No one that they will meet in life is likely to understand what it is like to be a foundling, but they each know and understand.
Elsa is a beautiful little girl, a raucous bundle of excitement and laughter. I am pleased to have seen photos of her. I know from reports that she lights up the space around her. She is happy and settled in her new family, as yet unaware of how she differs from other children. Her best chance in life comes with a permanent placement in an alternative family.
The Irish actress's relationship with the late English playwright has passed into the annals of recent theatre history - but it was finding the son she'd given up for adoption that spelled the end of the affair
These issues are not pathologies. They are predictable, universal core vulnerabilities shaped by the inherent complexities of adoption. Understanding these vulnerabilities helps us move beyond simplistic narratives of adoption as "beautiful," " grateful,"""" or "rescuing," and instead see adoption for what it truly is: a layered experience in which love and loss coexist throughout a lifetime.
Throughout this month, I'll be spotlighting a series of articles exploring the emotional, developmental, and relational layers of adoption, because adoption is not a one-time event; it's a lifelong journey of searching for identity and belonging.Adoption is often framed as an act of love, and it can be, but it's also a lifelong commitment that demands emotional readiness, humility, and ongoing self-awareness.
I would 100% recommend reading some books and looking online. There are so many good resources out there. Make sure you are getting the information from a reputable source: speak to vets, trainers, friends who have had pets, and build your knowledge base that way. Where you get your pet from matters too, says Cowlam. The best thing to do is adopt from a charity. But if you're going to a breeder, go on personal recommendations, or check for approved breeders make sure to do your homework and at the first sign of something not quite right, move on.
I had my second one at 38, and it's such a different experience than 26. I much prefer it this time around because I feel more settled and mentally present. With the first one, we were just running around, figuring stuff out together. We could match energies. Now, I just outsmart her (play offense, not defense). Both were/are fun. They're my partners - I love doing things with them in different capacities. But I'm worried about the future. The 18-year-old likes to hang out late and kick it. At 43, I can pull it off. Once I'm in my 50s, I don't have high hopes.
But a legal roadblock stands in the way: Quebec doesn't legally recognize more than two parents per child. That fact was a dealbreaker for the first adoption agency the men applied with. But after working with a lawyer, they approached another, which they said was more open to their relationship. The agency started the evaluation process. "Through that process, they learned that we are a little different because we're three, but we're not different from any other family," LeBlanc said.
I am in constant contact with my college friends; we all talk almost daily. One of them disclosed that she just went through a miscarriage. I am at a loss. I want to be there for her while going through my own process to have kids. I can't begin to imagine her feelings of loss and the physical pain. I lay down and cried after she told me, grieving for her and her baby and her husband.
Every time something reminded me of him, I broke out in tears. I've never been more heartbroken in my life. I'd go to bed crying and I felt this empty place inside of me, and I never thought I'd get over it. But every day gets better and better. I'll never stop loving him and I'll never get over it, but now I realize I did the right thing.
"I might announce on this show that I became a grandmother last year," she said on the Sept. 29 episode of the "SmartLess" podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. After the hosts applauded the good news, Pfeiffer continued, "I've been very quiet about it and it is - it's heaven. It's ridiculous. And if I had known that I was going to be a grandmother, I wouldn't have taken on so much work, but I've enjoyed everything and I'm really grateful."
The race for supremacy among major artificial intelligence (AI) providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, is approaching peak intensity. Alongside this growth, concerns about customer trust and distrust have become paramount. These concerns are appropriate-our own work suggests that in the face of the ambiguity and uncertainty typically accompanying a new technology such as healthcare AI, customers and users rely heavily on their trust in the provider to dampen risk and obtain peace of mind.
"I'm a late bloomer. I'm a late bloomer with a lot of things and you know - nobody's perfect. I'm an overachiever in some ways and just like slow as molasses in other ways," she said. "I think I kind of needed to grow and mature and get everything kind of taken care of with everything before I was able to really deal with it."
