Spring ~ by Jay

After an essentially non-existent winter, we had summer-like temperatures in March and we've got spring on steroids in April - trees and shrubs and grasses that normally follow a sedate pattern, blooming in sequence over a six-week span, have all burst into profuse blossom at the same time. Every time I turn around, I'm surprised by something else. This morning, I looked down from our bathroom window and noticed the bright pink azalea in the side yard. The bleeding-heart in the back garden is growing a foot a day.

This blog, too, lay nearly nonexistent over the winter. 1 post in January, 4 in February. A smattering in March, and here we are with more than half of April gone. For a while I thought I'd shut it down, but I never got around to writing a hail-and-farewell post, and every now and then I'd be motivated to write something. For once, procrastination and indecisiveness worked in my favor, and now I have a reason to keep blogging.

Heather from Production Not Reproduction has somehow found time and energy to create a new space for Open Adoption Bloggers. The Open Adoption Bloggers site is up and running, and if you look closely at the blogroll, you'll see us there. You'll also see us on the list for the Adoption Blog Hop from Adoption Magazine. I signed up for both because it's important to me to remain an active part of the open adoption community. We have a strong network of adoptive families in our physical community, but none are open adoptions. Rebecca captured my feelings about our role in her post The Adoption Illusion - by our very existence, we make things visible that are often hidden. Eve tells her friends about Laura, and they tell their parents, and their parents squirm. We are committed to this path, and we know it's right for us, but it's challenging. I find strength and hope and new ideas when connect to other adoptive parents, and my commitment is renewed when I hear from adoptees and first mothers about the importance of knowledge and access. This community is important to me, and I am here to stay.

I even have a plan! You'll see some older pieces on adoption re-posted, and I'll write something new at least once a week (not just about adoption, I'm sure). Take a look at the other blogs on the OAB and Adoption Magazine blogroll, and please talk back to me in comments. I hate blogging alone.