Waiting Families
Cheryl and Bill
Dear Birth Mother,
We very much appreciate your reading this letter as you make the difficult decision as to what is best for you and your baby. Whether or not you choose us to parent your baby, we know that your choice to make an adoption plan for your child will make some couple very happy.
We are Cheryl and Bill. Cheryl was born in Pennsylvania. Bill is a native Virginian. We have been married for more than 21 years and we’ve lived in our present home for 17 years. Our lives are very stable. Bill has been employed by an area community college for more than 20 years and Cheryl has worked in the human resources office of a local state agency for 13 years. We attend the local Catholic church. We are both non-smokers.
Our three-year-old son Ethan can’t decide whether he wants a baby brother or a baby sister, but he’s very excited about the possibility of having a sibling to play with and share our family trips. Ethan is adopted, but we love him as much as two parents could love a child and our family has accepted him and they love him just as if he were our biological child. We have a large extended family, with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. They all adore Ethan.
We live in a small town located in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. It’s a quiet place where you can practically go away for the weekend and leave your doors unlocked knowing your belongings are safe. Add to that the fact that our neighbors look out for one another, and you have a great neighborhood in which to raise a child. We live on a shady street in the historical district of our town and one of the homes just across the street from us is an historical landmark. Our town has lots of playgrounds and a large public pool. (Ethan loves the pool.) We also live close to a state park and we go there often for walks or to enjoy various festivals and other events. In the center of our town is a beautifully-renovated Depression-era theater that is now used for a variety of musical and drama productions. One of the music programs is even broadcast nationally over the public television network.
We like to do things as a family, whether it’s a short Saturday road trip for shopping, a visit with family, or a weekend trek to Ethan’s favorite amusement park. We’ve never left Ethan with a babysitter, even for an anniversary dinner out at a restaurant. Thanks to years of infertility problems, we waited for so long for him to come along that we wouldn’t think of going anywhere without him. In fact, we just bought a new mini-van with plenty of room for a new baby, so all of us can take trips together.
Bill attended the local schools from the first grade through to graduation from high school. Cheryl, whose family moved to our town in 1980, also graduated from the local high school. Bill attended a state university in Virginia and earned his bachelor’s degree in history. Cheryl graduated from a Pennsylvania college with an associate’s degree and then completed her bachelor’s degree in professional communications at a Virginia state college.
We believe education is extremely important and serves as a strong foundation for a successful life and career. Consequently, we plan to provide both Ethan and any future children with the best college education we can afford. We support Ethan’s mental development by reading to him regularly and playing with him (he loves trains). We also do our best to answer his many questions about the world in terms he can understand. Additionally, we encourage his artistic interests such as painting and music. He loves to play on Cheryl’s piano and make up his own songs (dancing all the while). We know his future little brother or sister will enjoy exploring those or similar artistic talents as much as he does.
Ethan knows that he is adopted, at least as much as a three-year-old can understand it. He knows both of his birthparents and he sees them a couple of times each year. As he grows, we plan to explain the adoption and how he became part of our family. We believe it is important to be open with him about the subject so he will be a confident and well-adjusted adult.
If you choose us to parent your baby, we promise we will give him or her all the love a child could ever wish for and an endless supply of support and encouragement to become the best person he or she can be. We are also willing to be as open about the adoption as you, yourself, are willing to be. We would certainly be pleased to provide photos, DVDs, and letters so that you see your baby’s growth and development over the years.
Should you desire to know more about us or to speak with a counselor with our adoption agency, the Children’s Home Society of Virginia, please call toll free 1-800-247-2888.
Thank you again for considering us as potential parents for your baby. We wish you the very best of luck in the future.
Sincerely,
Bill, Cheryl & Ethan