Friday, June 11, 2010

NPR StoryCorps: An Adoption Story

Click here to listen to mother and son share a story about adoption:

Jackie Miller knew when she got married that she would adopt a child. And in the early 1970s, she and her husband brought home their son, Scott.

* * *

But while Scott Miller knew he was adopted, he didn't know what prompted his parents to choose adoption to grow their family.

"When I was 17, I got pregnant," Jackie explained to her son. "And the light of my life is my father, but he gave me 24 hours to leave town. And I did have a son. I gave this baby up for adoption and said at that time that I will adopt a child when I'm able to take care of a child."
Listen to the whole thing, it is well worth it. It's interesting to hear the mom talk about not telling her son for so many years, and how the secret seemed to get bigger and bigger as time passed. . . .

3 comments:

everythingismeowsome said...

Very interesting. I have a friend who relinquished a child at 17, only to adopt at the age of 40 after having 3 other bio children that she raised. From what she says, the 2 didn't have a lot to do with each other, but I find it very interesting, seeing things come full circle like that.

Unknown said...

I just want to know so much more- this just skims the surface of so many layered issues! Interesting and frustrating. I want to explore this story, this family... but I just get a glimpse.

Take care of yourself Malinda. Thinking of you this night.

Mei Ling said...

Does anyone think that maybe, deep down unconsciously, the decision to adopt a child was influenced in part by the original relinquishment?

As in, the mother feels she has to "prove" that she would have been a good parent or to "make up" for what she couldn't do when she originally relinquished, and therefore the adopted child was sort of a way of "redeeming" herself?

I'm not saying that could be the *entire* reason, but it could very well have integrated itself into her psyche.