Waiting Families
Michele and Radcliffe
Dear Birthparent/s,
Hello! We are Michele and Radcliffe, and we are grateful that you have taken time to learn about us. We first want to tell you how much we admire your courage, love and compassion in considering an adoption plan for your child. We will never know the sense of loss and grief you must feel in this process, nor could we even imagine the overwhelming sea of emotions you must be swimming in right now. What we do know is that your decision to make an adoption plan for your child is a sacred one, and we keep your heart and thoughts in our prayers.
We share a sense of loss too, as we tried to build our family for many, many years which has been a frustrating pursuit. In February 2010 our prayers were answered by a birthmother who made our dream of becoming parents come true. We are so thankful that God’s plan led us to become adoptive parents, as without that plan we would not have experienced the amazing gift of building a family through adoption. The love we have for our little girl is overflowing and we cannot wait to welcome another baby into our family and provide the same level of joy, love, and adoration as we give to her.
We hope that as you read our story, you will see and feel the love that we share for each other, our families, our community, and the world at large. It is our aim to raise children in an environment with an appreciation for community, birth parents and adoptive families alike, and with the knowledge of being loved and NEVER alone. We want to do what is best for your child. We hope that includes some level of contact with you in whatever way you may be comfortable, but we are flexible and willing to consider other situations.
Through Radcliffe’s eyes:
Michele is very gentle, thoughtful and devoted. She is always concerned with doing what is right, whether it is providing food to homeless and hungry through our Church’s food pantry or cooking a delicious dinner for one of our neighbors who has gotten sick. I knew Michele would be a great Mom by just watching her play with her nephews and niece, but to truly watch her care and provide the highest needs for our daughter brings tears to my eyes. She is patient, intuitive, fun and full of great ideas for family activities. Just this week, we went on a cloudy fall day to the local pumpkin patch and took our daughter on a hayride to see horses, pigs, and chickens on are way to picking up pumpkins to be carved that night. She has created a home that is warm and rich, comforting and happy, only missing one thing….a sister or brother for our daughter, and another daughter or son for Michele and me. Michele is very bright and has a master’s degree in nursing which she uses in her current position at the poison control center. Michele shoulders a tremendous responsibility at work in taking phone calls from panicked mothers whose children have swallowed something that might be poisonous, to ER doctors needing specialized expertise in toxicology. Having a toddler, her experience has already come in handy a few times! Working part time allows Michele to balance between professional life and Momma life. I am a very lucky man; I come home in the evenings to the welcoming warm smells of a delicious dinner, cool sounds of jazz or maybe Elmo singing his song, the dogs excited, Emily shouting “DaDa!” and giving me a big hug, and a warm hug and a kiss from my beloved, Michele.
Through Michele’s eyes:
Radcliffe is a very unique and special person. I am amazed at how his enthusiasm and humor can light up a room. Children of all ages are drawn to him as he is fun to be around and he engages with people very easily. He has a natural gift for being very social and he has boundless energy. He is a gifted musician playing guitar, banjo, dobro, piano, and he sings well. He has produced a couple different albums and is now working on a compilation of his own songs he has written and recorded. He also has a serious side. He is dedicated to his family, and works diligently as a nurse anesthetist to provide for his family. He uses his gift to provide care to patients in the operating room to make sure patients are as comfortable as possible and don’t feel pain during the surgery or delivery of their baby. He has a natural gift for putting people at ease during highly stressful events. One of the most memorable gifts he has given me was writing and recording an engagement song to ask for my hand in marriage. He wanted this song recorded so he could be traditional in bending down on his knee for the proposal. It was the most perfect engagement story ever! He continues his traditional ways by making a point to always celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, pick out pumpkins for Halloween, and set up the Christmas tree with all the beloved ornaments. We look forward to these activities as family outings. Those are only a couple of examples of the great kind of guy he is. Watching him with our daughter shows even more how he loves life and loves to parent and raise children with these joyful traditions.
We were married in our neighborhood church and we have created a home and extended family there, including the baptism of our daughter. We are active members in church and attend regularly. There are many wonderful attributes of our church, but the one that is significant for you to know is that there are many adopted children in our church with many diverse backgrounds. This acceptance and understanding of adoptive families is and will be very important in establishing a secure identity for our children as they grow up and learn about the origins of their family. We live in a modest home in a diverse neighborhood, full of activity and a strong sense of community. We enjoy cooking at home, having friends over and going out.
We are fortunate to have both sets of parents living close to us, as well as each of our brothers and their wives and kids. We spend our vacations together at the mountains and the beach every year, and we enjoy hiking, fishing, playing on the beach, gardening, swimming and enjoying the many gifts of nature.
Our hopes and dreams for our children include strong education, spiritual development, physical activity, sports and healthy personal relationships. Our most important goals are that they have a meaningful life, filled with good friends and tight family, finding happiness in their work as well as personal lives. We will devote ourselves to this end, placing the needs of your child first and foremost as our own.
We thank you for taking the time to read our story, and we look forward to our paths crossing soon.
Peace be with you,
Michele and Radcliffe