Author Adrienne Morris

April 13, 2022

Adoption Story (Pt. 10)

I’m passionate about American history — its flaws, its nobility. In a recent conversation online I asked to what extent my ancestors should be accountable for the fates of the tribal peoples of the continent. Here’s my unpopular take: ” … to be fair we would also have to look at what would now be […]

April 11, 2022

Quilting a Life: A Conversation About the Value of Making Art

“Everything you can imagine is real.” Pablo Picasso My daughter-in-law and I chatted all weekend about the creative life, raising children and genealogy as somehow connected to our life’s purpose the last time she was up for a visit with my son and grandson. On this visit Sam brought along a current project she is […]

April 8, 2022

Adoption Story (pt. 9)

A bit about the “team” at this point. This point being the first few months with M being back in our home. M’s social worker from the foster care agency had moved on to another job by the time M came home. We met with the new worker who M knew in passing from […]

April 6, 2022

Rescue From the Cuckoo’s Nest (pt. 8)

“Thorby had two choices. Be adopted quietly or make a fuss and be adopted anyhow” Robert A. Heinlein, Citizen of the Galaxy The lead social worker on her case at Saint —— facility mentioned that while reading M’s extensive medical records she had to pause often. The trauma described seemed too insurmountable. She was in awe […]

April 4, 2022

Rescue From the Cuckoo’s Nest (pt.7)

“I may be a lost cause, but I thought if you loved me, it needn’t matter.” John Osborne M didn’t make contact with us for the next two weeks. By now M’s sisters were on the fast track to adoption. We could have jumped ship at this point. Her worker told us that she had […]

April 2, 2022

Rescue From the Cuckoo’s Nest (An Adoption Story)

One family’s story about adopting a child from foster care.

April 1, 2022

Rescue From the Cuckoo’s Nest (pt. 5)

Technically we were off the hook. The doctor at the small general hospital immediately understood that M was overmedicated and agreed that the best thing to do was to send her back to the mental health facility around thirty minutes from our house to have her medications reevaluated. Yet … we knew what M didn’t […]

March 31, 2022

Rescue From the Cuckoo’s Nest (pt. 4)

M’s issues as noted by the experts at the time: ADHD, PTSD, mild cognitive “delays.” Because we were only foster parents, we had no access to her previous medical or psychiatric records. We were completely dependent on the overworked social services and foster care agency staff. Things were hinted at or misrepresented or just misremembered. […]

March 30, 2022

Rescue From the Cuckoo’s Nest (pt. 3)

Looking back, it amazes me that the health care officials in charge of this place were so blasé about thrusting an obviously highly traumatized child into my car after a fifteen minute introduction playing Junior Monopoly. As a former fifth grade teacher I noticed that M had trouble counting steps around the board and had […]

March 29, 2022

Rescue From the Cuckoo’s Nest (pt. 2)

This story is not about my hatred though. This hatred comes and goes and is not quite real. Or maybe it is, but just in those moments. When I am sane and safe, I imagine what it must have been like as a baby not yet able to walk or talk, failing to thrive, needy […]

About

Subscribe

Contact