Adoption the Ultimate Gift of Love

Here is a paper I had to right. I picked adoption because is who I am and a big part of my life. I hope you enjoy, feel free to leave comments!



The Ultimate Gift of Love

“PUSH!.... PUSH!...Almost there; come on push! On the count of three, give it all you got! One…Two…THREE! Great job! Congratulations; it’s a boy!” Instantly the woman thinks, I can’t correctly raise this child, I’m only 17. What am I going to do? This situation is one that a woman went through19 years ago. This woman happened to be my birth mother. I am adopted, which is defined as taking and rearing (the child of other parents) as one’s own child, specifically by a formal legal act. To some, this definition is all adoption will ever mean, but for me it is much more because it is my life, and I was one month old when it all started. Adoption is what stands between people living a life in broken families, several foster homes, and the streets, or a life with an actual family, receiving the love and attention every child should obtain. I am proud to be adopted.

Adoption is so much more than what the definition states; it is the most heartbreaking, joyful, confusing, painful, loving and life-changing moment in at least five people’s lives, for each adoption. These emotions consume both sets of parents and the child. No one else can ever feel the pain that a mother endures when she is giving up a child; no one can even imagine the thoughts that run through her head. She might be thinking, “Where is the best place for my child to grow up? Who are the best parents for the child? Do I want my baby to have siblings? What do I want to make sure that the parents will provide for my child?” Each time there is a mother who’s going to place her new child up for adoption; she is showing that child the ultimate act of love. I know this because my birth mother placed me in a better home, and made it possible for me to receive everything that she would not have been able to give me on her own. Of course, the mother loves the child, who dare ask if she does not? However, by placing a child for adoption, the mother is giving the child the opportunity to have the best life possible, knowing that if she were to keep the child, it would miss out on many important opportunities. A mother always wants to be in her child’s life, but in these situations, that relationship will have to come later because she cannot provide everything she wants to be able to. It would be a selfish act to keep the child because she wants to “watch them grow up.” My birth mother has given me the best opportunity in life anyone could ask for.

Being a member of the Shipp family is like a melting pot. Everyone is so different, but we all get along and really enjoy being together. My adoptive parents have been everything parents should be and more, giving me opportunities that some could only hope for, like going to Mexico and Guatemala on Service Missions. They have provided a wonderful home filled with love and a total of seven kids, three of whom are adopted, and I’m the oldest of the adopted. People always ask me, “What is like to be adopted?” How on earth am I supposed to know what it’s like to be not adopted? It’s like asking people who were raised entirely by their biological parents, “What is it like to live with your biological parents?” Neither of us has experienced the counterpart; therefore, we have nothing to compare it to. But there have definitely been times where it does feel weird knowing that I have another set of parents and that I have many qualities passed down from them. Even though I have spent absolutely no time with either of my birth parents, I know that I have obtained qualities from both of them.

My siblings, who are biological Shipps, are very intelligent and logical, whereas I am very creative and involved in the arts. I have noticed that we have very different thinking processes as we talk and discuss topics. My siblings all tend to be thinking on the same brainwave and understand each other exactly, whereas I have to work harder to see what they are seeing. I’m not saying this is a big issue, but it is a difference between us. I’ve always known I was adopted; my parents told me when I was very young. It would be impractical to try and hide it when 66% of my family is white and the other 34% are of different ethnicities. The thought of not being biological to the Shipps however always made me curious to as what my parents looked like, but as my adoption was a “closed” adoption, I will have to wait.

There are two different types of adoption: open and closed. Every agency does it differently, and each state has different rules. Open adoptions are where the birth parents are able to have contact with the child, and the child can know everything about the birth parents. Adoption agencies have done studies on open adoptions and their effects on the birth parents and child. Researchers have found that in open adoptions, where contact with the child is allowed, birth parents tend to feel like they can’t move on and are stuck at the time of the adoption. An adopted child often feel confusion and chaos, knowing that this stranger is their mother/father, but was not involved with their nurturing and upbringing. Children sometimes don’t know understand and will have troubles placing their birth mother/father into their lives. Melissa, a close friend of my adoptive mother (who has placed a child for adoption), expressed, “I’m going to the birthday parties, family dinners, family picnics, but I don’t know what my place with my daughter is because I’m not her mother, not her nanny, and I don’t understand my part in her life is.” Open adoptions have a psychological effect on birth parents; it keeps them in the same mind set of the adoption. It’s like ripping a band-aid off a wound causing it to bleed again.

Closed adoptions are the exact opposite; there is no contact between the birth parents and child, and almost no information is given to the child and adopting parents. The information given includes names, sometimes pictures, along with medical history sheet that includes ethnicity, height and weight. The set of parents are allowed to write letters to each other for the first year, but every letter must go through the agency, and an agent will black out anything that should not be said between the two families. The summary of closed adoptions is that they are very private and makes it possible for the birth parents and child to live a normal life. Angie, a personal friend and also a mother who placed a child for adoption said, “I feel like a closed adoption is the best option for both the child and me. I am not ready to inform my current children about having placed a child several years before. I feel with the closed adoption gives time for the child to mature and be able to develop who they are before messing with the past.” Closed adoptions are a good for the adopted children because it gives them time to find out who they are and what their places are in life, so that they can become strong and prepared for possibly meeting their birth parents. But on the counter part, some closed adoption children have absolutely no idea of what their birth parents are like besides what is given on the profile sheet that contains the medical history, the children are always wondering what they are going to look like when they grow older; they don’t always have pictures to get ideas from. Adopted kids are usually in the dark on what they could end up looking like.

Adoptive children in closed adoption are to remain in the dark until they are 18, and some agencies (like mine) won’t allow contact until the child reaches the age of 21.Holding contact until the child is 18 is to help prevent issues. There have been several cases where birth parents have bluntly rejected the children, and destroyed the children emotionally. Sometimes there are intense cases where the birth parents become extremely clingy and want to be in the adopted child’s life constantly, resulting in mental issues for the child. Children are always taking a risk when meeting their birth parents. There are many possible outcomes, some insane and horrific, and others friendly and giving closure to unanswered questions.

I would love to meet my birth parents, and even with knowing about all of the different possible outcomes of how meeting my birth parents could end up, I still feel the need. I don’t require that we build relationships between us, but I want them to tell me information when I ask questions about who they are, what qualities they have, what is in the family history and so on. I can’t wait to see their faces; I’ve dreamt all my life of how they might look because I do not have pictures of them. I envy my other adopted sibling for having pictures of their parents. These pictures are a part of who they are, what they can become and more. I wish I had these guidelines instead of walking around blindfolded and clueless. Eventually I will be enlightened, and I will be able to see clearly. I can’t wait to thank them for what they have given me.

Adoption is a special gift, to some it means the opportunity to obtain children, whom they can love, take care of, and make their own. To some young, immature, naive high school girls, who became pregnant, it means giving her and the child a better life. Adoption has allowed me to enjoy the life I currently live; I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I cannot express the love and gratitude I have for my birth mother for giving me this wonderful gift. I’m so excited for the day that I get to see her face, pick her up in my arms in a big hug and tell her, “Thank You!”

*Names have been changed to protect identities*

4 MONTHS???? WOW I'm bad at this blogging Game!

Hey everyone! sorry I haven't posted anything recently, well in the past like three and a half months. Things have been busy with school, work, friends and just plain life. .Here's a little up for right now. I did get a job at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) as a Concessions worker, I sale food and drinks to people, and hopefully I can get a job as a dancer after Christmas break. Also I am attending BYU-Hawaii and I have pick the major of Graphic Art, and am thinking of goin into the advertisement part of it. For those that don't know a lot about me,I like to sing and as a Freshmen I made it in to the BYUH Concert Choir and the Broadway Caberea(?-if that's how its spelt) and that is a show choir here on campus.
So I thought being away for Thanksgiving would be horrible, well..... I was wrong. My best friend Jonah and his family came to Hawaii and I got to spend it with them. We had soooo much fun and it was nice to see a some faces from back home. I was extremely thankful this year for having good friends and my family. Oh, so now about the pictures i just posted.
In my Hale(dorms) we have the Hale Parent(Mclaws), and I think they are the bomb! They are super nice, always asking how we are doing and super easy to talk to. They have two kids Pason and Berkley, and boy are those two a hand full, but we love them a lot. Pason(9) plays pool all the time and kicks almost everyone's butt in pool, and Berkley(2.5) is the cute little girl walking around always asking, "what's that?" and loves taking everyones stuff then hiding it.
I'll be coming back to the mainland on the 18th of December for Christmas break! I can't wait to see the fam and all my friends. I'd like to meet up with everyone I can, so if you want to hang out let me know. I think that everything I have to say right now so AAALLLLOOOOHHHAAAA and Arohanui!

This Is the my Hale(dorm)Parents'Daughter... She likes me to take pics of here and iI really think these are great ones. Her name is Berkley(?).

Making some friends

Friday I was hanging out with my friend Kariza, and I was invited to a birthday party. The Birthday party was for a girl named Hillary, from Utah. Hillary is a really pretty girl and she is a awesome person to be around. I met a lot of cool new people from all over like, Samoa, New Zealand, Texas, California, Japan, and even Utah. haha So we hung out at the Hale(dorm) until 11 because guys cant be in there past 11 so we went outside and hung out. We decided to go to Laie Point, so some people left and some stayed to wait for some others. So us that stayed were there for like 10 min and as we were just starting to walk, a big black Ford Excursion pulls up with about 15 people and they stop and yell, "hey you guys comin to Turtle Bay?" We look at each other and are like "YEAH!" So we ended up fitting 22 people into Excursion, we had people in there pack every which way and we were blasting music and just having a great time. We ended up going in and getting into the hot-tub and pool for a little more than 2hours. After being kicked out, all 22 of us hopped back in the Excursion and came back to Laie. All of yesterday I was invited to different things and was busy all day, and I made even more friends. Everything is going good here in Laie, and thats what is just below the surface.

Beginning a New Life

It's Official!!! I am all unpacked and moved into my apartment in Hawaii! It's pretty awesome having this feeling of beginning something new.I live in an upstairs part of a house with three other guys. My roommate's name is Everton and he is from Brazil(from looking at his stuff i'm guessing he is a huge soccer player/fan), the other two guys i'm living with are named, Brian and Robert but that is a guess because I actually haven't met them yet! (Im not a creepy I just wanted to provide some names for ya) haha! It's a very small apartment, for example the family room literally smashes into th kitchen! Haha Anyways my location is perfect because i'm only about 3blocks away from everything, school, church, temple, beach, stores and ect...

When I was dropped off by my parents it was kinda sad, my mom was crying and my father was giving me advice. I love you mom and dad, i'm doing just great. Oh we have no AC in the apartment so its bloody hot, we have like one fan and three ceiling fans so i'm just melting away while i'm writing this. I currently do not have a job but I will begin the job hunting first thing Monday morning. Oh I will post pictures as soon as I get my cord to connect my camera to my lapton, I left it hope so it will be mailed to me soon! I'm hoping that I can get a job at the PCC but we will see. Well thats the current update on me, just starting my new life so hopefully I will survive long enough to write the next post. I write ya later! Aloha

Enjoying Paradise

Hello everyone! This is my first post in Hawaii! I've been here for about 3 days and I'm loving it! Everything is perfect like the weather, people, atmosphere, ect... I currently on vacation with my family and we are stay at the Ko Olina Merriott Resort on the island of Oahu. It is one of the most beautiful places I've ever stayed at! Everyone in my family is here except Kory, who is in NYC doing an internship at some financial group. At the end of this week I am hoping to stay here at some off-campus housing. I had an interview at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) to be a demo-guide in the Hawaiian island. There are only 2 openings and so far 7 people have had interviews so I'm super nervous! I've been praying super hard that I would get the job because it would be an amazing opportunity and would enjoy having that job. Well thats all I have to say, i'm going to go do some snorkeling. Hang loose, and I write ya later! PEACE!!!

Preparing to Leave

Holy crap it has been a crazy week! Today has been unbelievably hectic. I've been packing and getting the house all clean and doing tons of chores that need to be done before I leave to Hawaii. I've been the only one home today so I had to do everything and still do my own stuff and its probably caused some grey hairs on my head. Oh speaking of hair I put some caramel highlights in my hair and got a hair cut. The color looks good but I think my hair is to0 short. Its actually still long enough to put it in a ponytail but it is curling really tight so it looks really short. Well I've got to got do some more packing. I'll write to ya later, when i'm in Hawaii! Woohoo!

Time to do a little catching up!

Wow I haven't updated my blog for one month to the day! I guess this means i have a little catching up to do! The week of summer games swimming and soccer I started a job at "Dub's Hawaiian Ice" on main street next to TopSpot. So for that whole week I was using up all my time and trying to juggle time with work, swim practice, soccer practices, swim races, soccer games and more work. It was a hectic week! I ended up getting two silver medals in the 200M Freestyle(masters) and 200M Backstroke. Soccer we weren't so fortunate. We played for the Bronze medal and lost. I feel like it was partially my fault because I am the Goalie but I can say that I honestly did my best and felt like I had preformed my best in a long time. Out of the 5 games I let in only 8 goals. Which isn't bad at all. But I was kinda disappointed with my offense because I think we scored 4 goals other than the Parowan game where we scored 11 and I made one of those. But oh well.
The next week I just worked and did really nothing. Actually I did start a 5week Vocal Boot Camp with the amazing Adrianne Tawa. Adrianne is a very good friend of mine that is the mother of my "sis"(not really related) Julia Tawa, I have known since we were both in 1st Grade. Adrianne is an amazing singer and has helped me with my singing the past year, and she has helped me a LOT.
Jonah Hafen, Christi Brazee, Chelsea Clark and myself decided to go to California the next week, and boy did we have fun. We stayed at Christi's father's house in Mission Vierjo, Ca. That is really close to Irvines, California. That week we went to Huntington Beach, San Diego Zoo, Hollywood and Crystal Cove. These three friends are definitely on the top of my list of favorite people. We had so much fun and we all sad to come back.
Every July my family goes to Lake Powell for a week. This time almost all of my family was there except Heidi and here family and Kory. Chad brought his family and his Bro & Sis in-'law, Chris and Ashley Thompson. Those two are a hoot. They both have a really think southern accent because they grew up in Georgia. Rhett brought his friends Sarajane, Ben, and Nick and I really enjoy having all of them around. Ben was kneed in the back by Rhett while doing a train down the slide, and Ben got a huge bump where he got hit. Later on we named it Slither and I drew a unhappy face on it. HAHAHAHA The rest of the trip was fun except we had some boat issues but we got past it.
The remaining time between the lake and now I have been just hanging out and working. Oh and I'm going to be an Eagle Scout! yay! Also I have been talking pictures of people and i will post those later. Well thats all i have to say! Goodbye!

The Waters of Competition

Swimming has been a huge part of my life, well for atleast the past six years it has been. I can probably safely say that I have been in the water just as much as I have been at home during those years. A funny fact: I'm writing this post in my racing speedo! Hahah
Today was my last swim competition and will be for I don't know how long. It is sad to think of this, because a lot of who I am and what has happened to me up to now has been because of swimming. My closest friends are Spencer and Jonah, and guess how we met. Yeah, you guessed it swimming. I still remember the first time I met spencer; it was our freshmen year and we had an away meet up in Orem, Utah. Having been the freshmen, we were forced to double up on the bus and Spencer and I had to sit together. I didn't know Spencer at the time, Spencer just to Cedar from California, had been to only one practice and then came with us to the meet. I rememeber talking to Spencer on the bus and listening to some music, he showed me one of his favorite songs "Make You Smile" by +44. The next thing I remeber about that trip was Spencer asking for my pillow because he wanted to use it, so I gave it to him. But I soon learned that the pillow wasn't for his head but for his butt. Knowing Spencer now that totally makes sense but then I just thought he was just weird. After that Spencer and I were always talking and now are good buddies. I'd like to thank him for all he has done for me. He has always stood beside me and been a great friend to me. I look up to him and am so glad we became friends. My life would've been extremely boring with out him, Honest!!!!! He is the funniest guy I know and when him, Jonah and I are all together there is never a dull moment. I love Spencer & Jonah like a brothers and always will! They will always be spot for those two in my life. I do not know how I will survive without those two when I move to Hawaii for school. I know the story of meeting Spencer was so detailed but the story with Jonah isn't anything like that. We were friends through water polo and swim but never really talked. But something happened between sophomore and junior year, when junior year started we were so close. We were always together and always talked, we did everything together and even went to every dance together that year, including the girl choice dances. Our story isn't anything amazing but I'm so glad that we are such good friends now.
Beside friends, swimming has taught me lessons. Swimming is a team sport but also a individual sport. Teams win Meets by the points earned by each swimmer, but the outcome of each swimmer points isn't determinded on one's teammates swim but that individual swims. No one can change how I do in a race unless I let them, and my goal is to do my best to beat my own time and then beat others. I must worry how I swim, make sure how my technique or stroke is before worrying about others. Once I get into a good mode then I swim my heart out and try to maintain my good technique will focusing on beating others. So a lesson there would be, "You get to choose how well you do, not anyone else." Something to go along with that, is the definition of Potential: –adjective, capable of being or becoming. Potential doesn't make anything garuanteed, actually it is absolutely useless until you do something about it. There are many other things that I have learned thoughout swimming but there is way too many of them and don't want to make this so long that no one will read it.
I guess this is my farewell to competitve swimming. Thank You to all that have been envolved in swimming with me, family, competitors, friends, coaches, other teams' coaches, official and anyone else that I may have forgotton to mention. I'm so glad that I have met all of you. Thanks for the great experiance, swim will always be a part of me. Hopefully this absence of competeting won't be to long. I can't wait to meet with the "Waters of Competition" again and create more amazing mark points on in my life! Goodbye and I hope to see you again soo, "Waters of Competions"!!!!

Update on Layton!

hahaha wow I am having so much fun up in Layton! We have done so many fun thing from Indoors Surfing to Wedding Receptions! haha Kourtney keep nagging at me saying "wat are you doing?" in a english accent may i add. But on unfortunate event did happen, Shelby got cut her lip open and maybe broke her nose, While doing the inside surfing. I just possible gave my last hug to Kourtney and it makes me sad! I really hope I stay in touch with my friends the rest of my life, they have changed me in a good way and have a great love for all of them. I'll always have a spot for them in my heart and will never forget them.
So I want to talk about this wedding reception I went to. It was a total blast! It was a cousin to Alex and their family is Cuban and they definitely know how to party! We danced it up all night and just had a great ole time getting to know each other. I ran into his aunt Linda and his cousin Mimi again. Those to make me Happy! They are great people and so nice, that they are practically like family to me. Actually all of the Heder Family fills like a family to me! They are so welcoming, loving, and probably some of the greatest people i will ever meet in my life. Thanks Heders for being so nice to me! I love ya all!
Well I just wanted to give you guys an update of my trip in Layton! Im going to go now and spent my last little while in Layton with me friends! Later! :)

My adventure to Layton begins today.

Alex's Start (he is the 2nd closest and highest up)

Alex & Me withe the Sinclare(?) dinosaur

Kourtney and Me on the Sinclare(?) dinosaur

Alex & Me at Lagoon

Alex, Kourtney, Me, Shelby

So today I am going up to Layton, Utah so see my good friends: Alex, Kourtney and Shelby! I first met them at the BYU swim camp last summer and we all became really close. Last summer I went up to Layton and spent about four days with them, it was definitely my highlight of my summer! All three of them had a big swim meet over in Kerns so I went to cheer them on! It was a good meet, and I ended up seeing some of my other friends from around the state also.
This visit up is going to be a great one! It will be the last time I will be able to see all of them together for a while, becauce of school, missions and so on. I don't know what I will do without them but I will miss them terribly. So I will be leaving soon so I better go get ready! I talk to you all later!

Hello!

WOW!!! This is officially my first post! HURRAY!!!! I will apologize in advance that I am not the best writer, I do not know how to alway express how I am feeling. So bare with me as I get better. Hahaha wow I do not know why I am laughing... ?I guess it just a weird thing I do(Laughing EXECISIVELY). I really hope tha tyou i\enjoy my blog and also the many adventures i will ahve in the future. I will try to make them as interesting as possible for your sake as well as mine. THANK YOU! A.M.E.N!!!!!
P.$. I, like to u$e ("excessive") punc!tua!tion, when expre$$ing MY-$elf.

P.P.S. I'd like to dedicate this first post to two very important and loving people, Alexis Williams and Ms. B. (Ms. B., I hope you know why I dedicated this to you!) Bahahahaha!!!!!! :D