I’ve been gone all day in meetings and haven’t been able to post but I’ve been reading the comments on this post as they come in and I was thinking about how the internet has made this unbelievable dialog possible. For so long, there’s been a great divide between adoptive parents and first parents but now we’re able to have these very heavy, never easy and sometimes upsetting discussions and really learn from each other. Even though we all come to it with different — not always complementary — perspectives, I am amazed at the level of courtesy and respect in the comments. (Because even though the internet has made these conversations possible, it hasn’t always made them civil.)
And I want to thank all of you who give me so much to think about and so many opportunities to reassess my own biases. I learn a lot from you and I’m grateful to get to be a participant and a witness to the discussion.
You guys are without a doubt some of the most amazing, thoughtful people that I’ve ever virtually met.
I’m all mushy about it because at writing group tonight we were talking about virtual community and it really got me to thinking about you all and what was happening in the comments. I’d see ‘em come in on my iPod while I was heading here or going there and wondered where it was all going to end up. I’m also grateful to the lurkers who were inspired enough to share their thoughts.
I’m hoping I have a chance to come back to some of it tomorrow. And special thanks to Suz whose question and continued questions really forced me to dig and think!!
Related posts:
No kidding. Amazing and civil.
dawn, you make that happen. you’ve created an amazing community here. thanks.
I want to echo Marta. I think it has a great deal to do with who you are, your thought patterns, your position, your respect for others. I also think you tend to attract intelligent, respectful, crticial thinkers as well as those that have done some self work and dont project all their own adoption related kaka onto others but can look internally and think about what they are feeling, thinking and why. It takes a mighty strong ego to talk respectfully about such incredibly painful stuff.
Appreciate the shout out but really must admit, I feared I was being confrontational and combative and that was not my intent at all.
That’s why I felt good linking to this thread. I agree you have a lot to do with it, Dawn! I just read your post on “the really offensive article” and it was an eye-opener. Thanks for pointing it out.