I am not judging the birth families in any way. Please know that. I know there are circumstances. But young children only comprehend so much about the whys of things. And they internalize everything. Everything is because of them, for good or for bad. They don't understand that a person has an illness or great pain that prevent them from being a part of their lives, or from even wanting it. What they really think is "I must have done something wrong for them to not want to see me."
I have two sweet, loving boys who have close biological relatives who, for different reasons, don't want to see them. When an adoptive family decides to accept an open adoption, there is some trepidation. We did have concerns about an open adoption. We worried about what kind of influences the biological families would bring, what kind of lifestyles they lead, and if they would ever say or do anything that would be hurtful to our boys. Keep in mind both of my boys were drug babies, so these are real concerns. In the end, we decided the risk was worth it, and that they would have the opportunity to see for themselves, unbiased and unfiltered, and either have a desire to continue those relationships, or not. The decision would be theirs.
I stand by that decision. And, we have great relationships with some of these family members. But, there are those that we have no relationship with. And, oh, when your child asks about those things, it can break your heart. There are a few relationships I have not informed my oldest about yet, because he would be heartbroken to know about them and know they don't want to see him. But, I have to tell him at some point. I haven't lied to him, I just haven't told him everything yet, and that is the challenge we are faced with, too. I am trying to protect him with just enough armor that he can be safe but still be able to move and grow and fight his battles. He is an extremely sensitive child, with a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue at any moment of the day. He has a solution for everything....a way to fix EVERYTHING (at least in his mind). But, he can't fix this. He can't fix others. He can't make them love him or want to see him. Nothing he could do would make them change. But he doesn't know that. He still thinks that if thinks it should be so, then the world should bend to make it so. And that it WILL bend to make it so. I hope he will understand someday that some people just struggle and it's not because he has done anything wrong. I hope he can eventually sort through these relationships and deal with the damage in a positive way. That he can sort it out and put it in its proper place in his life. No bigger or smaller than it should be. And I hope someday those people will decide that knowing this amazing boy is worth it. It is worth any amount of pain. It is worth facing guilt and heartache to know him. He is worth it. But, for now, we take it one question at a time. One sensitive, yet honest answer at a time.
