Adoption: New York City Fieriness and Fireworks
When little fires connect, fireworks happen, and that fieriness was evident in New York City last weekend.
I am finally settling into being home and have had some time to process the New York City adventure of attending Operation Fog Lift: NYC Edition with many outstanding individuals from around the USA.
Consider Reading: New York City, Here I Come!
One of the many things that come to my mind is the love and connection I felt over the weekend. For many of us, myself included, attending conferences or events like this is like a family reunion. It's the only thing close to a family reunion I will ever have. Coming together this way is a celebration, and connection is at the core of me attending any of these conferences, events, etc.
The weekend started with flying with an inner ear infection, which I will likely never do again! While the flight to and from NYC was painful, the weekend made up for it in many ways.
FRIDAY EVENING KICKOFF
I attended the Adoption: Making of Me Podcast Happy Hour on Friday evening was an outstanding way to come together to kick off such a fun-filled weekend. I saw many familiar faces and met countless new people. We met from 6P-8P at Tanner Smith Speakeasy in Manhattan, a fun and festive spot to kick off the weekend. Meeting Sara and Louise in person was marvelous, and I couldn't be more proud of them for their contributions to the adoption community. If you still need to check out their podcast, do it ASAP. You won't be disappointed.
SATURDAY WAS SUN UP TO SUN DOWN EXCITEMENT
I'm an early riser, so I was up at 5 a.m. Saturday morning and out the hotel's door by 6 a.m. I wandered around NYC on a mini solo adventure and hit Times Square, Central Park, The Today Show, Broadway, and Rockefeller Plaza. I also found an excellent five-star bakery! My loved ones know I have a massive sweet tooth, and hitting up five-star bakeries in new cities is my jam!
While the Friday Happy Hour concluded, the weekend was beginning! Saturday morning, we kicked off our Adoptees Connect, Inc. brunch at The Smith Restaurant, which was set into motion because only some could get tickets to Operation Fog Lift: NYC Edition as it was completely sold out! We have had an Adoptees Connect group in Long Island for several years, and I wanted to create a space to connect with those adoptees, especially if I was coming to NYC. I tried to connect with as many of them as possible. Brunch was a perfect way to kick off a packed day filled with community and connection.
Onto Operation Fog Lift: NYC Edition!
Meeting so many Adoptees Connect, Inc. facilitators and attendees was seriously one of the biggest highlights of my weekend. Squeezing, giving them mega hugs, and connecting with them in person was a dream come true. I couldn't be more proud to have so many unique and dedicated human beings behind the vision of what Adoptees Connect, Inc. is. We need them and their commitment to the cause to connect globally as we are. Each role is instrumental to the vision of Adoptees Connect, Inc., and I am forever grateful for each of them.
We met at The Power Station at Berklee on Saturday at 2 PM, and the festivities continued! Supporting Autumn, The Reckoning with The Primal Wound Documentary, Liz, and her play UN-M-Othered was a wonderful experience. I couldn't be more proud of both of them and all the hard work they have put into creating such a meaningful event.
At this event, I was able to connect in person with countless amazing people who are impactful in the adoption community, like Dr. Amanda Baden, who was in the documentary, and Celeste Krishna, who is the artist behind the song in the documentary called "Wanna Be" that pulls on my heartstrings every time I hear it.
After Operation Fog Lift: NYC, we transitioned to the after-party, which was hosted by Autumn and me, and we had a fabulous time connecting with more people from the community and seeing some old and new faces.
I was able to meet and connect with so many, including Cindy and Anne of Hiraeth Hope & Healing, Jennifer Trudeau of Parents Partnership, Greg Gentry (Derry, NY), Shelley Dunlap Johnson, (Nashville, TN) Ellie Rosen (Providence, RI), Francesca Pagano (Long Island, NY) who are all Adoptees Connect, Inc. Facilitators, countless Adoptees Connect group attendees, a dear friend, David B. Bohl, and many more.
Over the weekend, I met Jeffrey for the first time in person, and I can truly say that it was one of the biggest highlights of my weekend! While Autumn led the way with Reckoning with The Primal Wound Documentary, Jeffrey's idea was to get all these organizations together for this fantastic weekend, and he was a massive supporter of pulling this weekend off. I am forever grateful!
Who is Jeffrey? Not only is he a friend and fellow adoptee, but we have created something meaningful together, and once again, I am exceptionally honored to partner with him in this way. Click here to learn about the Adoptees for Awareness Grant and our partnership, which means so much to many, especially me. Since returning home, Jenny Trudeau of Parent's Partnership has received the Adoptees for Awareness Grant, and we love what she is doing with her family preservation organization!
As you can see, we each carry a light of fire that creates a more significant fire within our organizations. When those fires connected with other fires, we came together to make fireworks happen in NYC.
One of my favorite parts about events like this is that I want to target all the unfamiliar faces to introduce myself and meet new people in the community. This is exceptionally important to me because networking is a massive part of Adoptees Connect. When I meet new people who are not necessarily adoptees but have a role in the adoption constellation or family preservation arena, I want to know who they are so I can connect them with others I know so they, too, can have a brighter fire!
The more we connect with others, the more our fires grow. I met so many new people last weekend, and I am incredibly grateful for each connection and all the forces that came together for this memorable event.
Thank you to each of you who came to NYC, who participated in any or all of these events, and for all you are doing for this amazing cause of raising awareness on how it feels to be adopted. You all mean a lot to me, and I am so honored to be in this community with so many amazing people.
The Real Adoptea Moxie Emporium Newsflash:
I have launched a True-To-Life Greeting Card Collection for Mother’s Day. Here are three of them, and I have more listed on the website. I will be adding many more in the coming days. Order yours today using code “TWENTYONE” at checkout for 21% off every order, all the time. Why 21%? I was 21 when I found my birth mother. Don’t see something that fits what you are looking for? Send me a message here, and I can create something just for you! Each item designed at The Real Adoptea Moxie Emporium becomes a bold and unique statement, and every true-to-life greeting card tells a story. www.therealadopteamoxie.com
True-to-Life Mother's Day Collection:
I see you; I feel your pain for all the adoptees who feel forgotten, lost, and alone. Please don’t give up, and know you aren’t alone in feeling like you do.
I have compiled a list of recommended resources for adoptees and advocates. It can be found here: Recommended Resources for Adult Adoptees and Adoption Advocates.
Thank you for reading and for supporting me and my work.
Understanding is Love,
Pamela A. Karanova
Here are a few articles I recommend reading:
100 Heartfelt Transracial Adoptee Quotes that Honor the Truth of Adoption by Pamela A. Karanova & 100 Transracial Adoptees Worldwide
What Are the Mental Health Effects of Being Adopted? By Therodora Blanchfield, AMFT
10 Things Adoptive Parents Should Know – An Adoptee’s Perspective by Cristina Romo
Understanding Why Adoptees Are At A Higher Risk for Suicide by Maureen McCauley | Light of Day Stories
Toward Preventing Adoption- Related Suicide by Mirah Riben
Relationship Between Adoption and Suicide Attempts: A Meta-Analysis
Reckoning with The Primal Wound Documentary with a 10% off coupon code (25 available) “adopteesconnect”
Still, Grieving Adoptee Losses, What My Adoptive Parents Could Have Done Differently.
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So happy New York was a blast!! It’s too wild for me but I can see how happy you are there!! Hugs and cat purrs!! ❤️🐱