A Celebration of Motherhood

My Huckleberry Book Club met today, and in the invitation, JR said to come and celebrate motherhood. This was because of our book this month, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards.

I, of course, was a bit confused, because I was totally reading the WRONG book and couldn't figure out how that book tied in to motherhood. Well, I was set straight at book group.

As we were visiting in our usual manner, something very special happened. JR was talking about her son Steven, and mentioned the fact he was adopted.

MGP looked at JR and told her she didn't realize that, and tears started welling up in her eyes.

"I have a special place in my heart for mothers who have adopted children," she told us. "You see, when I was 16, I had to give up a child."

She went on to tell us the story of a frightened young girl who, at 16 in the 1950's is like our 13 year olds of today. She was enamored with a friend of her older brother and he convinced her to do something, which then changed the course of her life.

At this time in history, girls were sent to Kansas to a home for unwed mothers.

"I arrived at this mansion and was snuck in the back door." she said. "The girls with lots of money were on the top floor. The girls with a little less money were on the middle floor. And those with no money, like myself, were in the basement."

And those who lived in the basement also had to wake up early each morning and help in the kitchen.

I told her it reminded me of the Titanic.

The story back home was that she had a sick grandmother and she had gone to take care of her.

When she was gone, one of her brothers was married, and she didn't get to be at the wedding.

When she returned home, it was never spoken of, not for 25 years.

Then she decided it was time to see if she could find her daughter. She put information in a reunion agency and received a reply from the agency saying they think there may be a match. This woman had put her information in within a week of MGP.

They spoke on the phone for 5 hours the first time they made contact. The girl's parents had always told her, since she was three, that there was another mother out there that loved her very much.

After visiting with her daughter, meeting her, and developing a friendship with her, her daughter told her she was unable to have children of her own.

The new found daughter has now adopted two children.

This is one of the reasons JR's story touched MGP so much....because the adoption story has come full circle. She gave up her daughter who was adopted by a lovely family. The daughter could have no children, so she shared her love with two adopted children of her own.

MGP said once she started telling this story, it was as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she came to realize she wasn't the horrible person she believed herself to be for many years.

Thanks JR, MGP and NP for helping me celebrate motherhood today in a very unique and special way. And thank you for each being unique and wonderful mothers in your own right.