Give It Up For The Adopted Youth in our Midst!
“Mentor Sundays” are truly a highlight of my week. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve likely heard this sentiment in my Stories. This year, I virtually mentored a total of 30 youth adoptees between the ages of 12-21! This mentorship comes in the form of both one-on-one sessions as well as youth/teen lounges (between 3-6 people). All sessions take place via Zoom: typically me in my cozy office, and the mentees somewhere in their homes. However, I was in awe of their commitment to these meetings when some Zoomed with me from their cars (while their parents were running errands), while camping (talk about strong WiFi!), and from hotel rooms while on vacation! I am so impressed with the way these young folks showed up for themselves and each other this year. Here is an anonymized glimpse into some of the work the kids did this year:
One adoptee discussed how they’ve been grappling with bio mom who isn’t responding to their Facebook messages
Another adoptee shared that they created their own Youtube page to document their adoptee journey
A young adoptee spoke of their experience meeting bio dad in jail
Ethiopian adoptee advocated for themselves and petitioned their high school to be able to learn Amharic and get credit, when previously their school only offered Spanish & French
In one group lounge two attendees recognized each other from their orphanage where they’d both lived over a decade ago!
And finally - a notebook is currently criss-crossing the nation between myself and five Ethiopian adoptees who see each other monthly in the Lounge, but are also connected through this notebook - old fashioned pen-pal style!
You may have taken part in this annual tradition in the past - remember 2020 and 2019? This year, it was a family affair. Over the past six months, I’ve been texting my aunt Marinelle information about the hobbies and interests of my mentees, she’d then journey out and shop for each youth! Their holiday gift boxes include: Jagged Little Pill Broadway memorabilia, lip gloss, picture frames, fuzzy socks, personalized street signs, calm strips, putty, candy, art supplies, notebooks, Black Lives Matter pins and stickers, LGBTQIA+ stickers, and a personal note from me. My cousin, Stevani helped package all of the gifts and Dianne, my mother-in-law used her calligraphy skills to address every box.
I appreciate the way you all champion this small business and trust my position in the lives of these youths. It is a joy to be invited into their lives, and my heart swells with pride when I think of the dedication they all bring to this work.