ParentProfiles.com

Message from a cousin...
"You have always been so good with our children, not to mention me too! Your knowledge of children reassures me that we are raising them in the best way. I know that God has chosen a special little one for you to raise, nurture, and love."

A message from Jim's sister...
Jim is one of the most fun-loving, caring, intelligent people I know. Jim, who is the non-stop perfectionist, strives for nothing but the best. He is a family oriented, kind-hearted person who loves life. He is dedicated and committed to family. I treasure our close relationship and look forward to the day that Jim is a father. I can't wait to hear a little boy or girl refer to me as "Aunt Steph."

A message from Beth's friend:
Beth has always been there for others. When I say others, I don't just mean her family, friends, and colleagues, but first and foremost she is there for her students. She is always ready to lend a helping hand, give up her personal time, or spend weekends going to pee-wee football games to support her students. It was in these actions that I realized that Beth was already a mother, but without child.

A reflection from Beth:
I have learned a lot from my friends about what it means to be a good mother. My best friend is my college roommate. She is the mother of two small boys and I have watched her grow into a kind, patient, consistent mother. I've been able to see how friends have handled different stages in their children's development with compassion and understanding and can't wait to ask their advice.

A note from Beth's mom...
Do I want to be a grandmother? My profession, more than thirty years in the classroom, was working with young children. I envied my friends their little bundles of grand-joy as they began arriving and truly appreciated their sharing news and photos, imagining when I might arrive at the same revered status. When I retired from teaching, I carefully selected books I had purchased for my classroom library that I wanted to share with my own grandchildren. Those books remain in a box in my bedroom.
The disappointment of failed fertility treatments was painful for my daughter and son-in-law and for myself. I swell with pride as I see them interact with others' children and have the character to overlook their own pain and sense of loss. That they have decided to give their love to an adopted child pleases me on so many levels beyond my own longing to be a grandmother. I speak with first-hand experience as to the importance of the support to young parents from the extended family and know that this will be in place for them as they move forward in parenthood.