There is an ancient Chinese belief which states: An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. The thread may stretch or tangle but will never break.
This is a commonly-used saying within the adoption community. It symbolizes the bond that all adoptive children have with their adoptive parents, even before they meet. An invisible “red thread” connects them to the people that are destined to be a part of their lives. With this in mind, an organization named Red Thread Sessions was created in 2011 by a group of photographers who wanted to celebrate the beauty and strength of adoption.
I am happy to announce my involvement with this organization, and that I will now be offering Red Thread Sessions.
What is a Red Thread Session?
As stated on their official website, a Red Thread Session not only captures family portraits of new families, it also capture the precious, happy, confusing, exciting, exhausting, traumatic, life-changing time that is so often brief and fleeting in the life of an adoptive family.
To many people who have never gone through the process (or have simply seen the tv-version of it all), adoption appears pretty straight-forward. But I can tell you... it's anything but that. Not only is it a big decision to make, but then there are the inspections. The questions. More inspections. And waiting. (Lots and lots of waiting.) Hope and joy when the announcement is made... and total heartbreak if an adoption falls through. More decisions, and more waiting. Lots more hope. And then joy (and normal parenting fear) when it all becomes real and an adoption goes through.
But this is just the beginning. There are adjustment periods on both sides. It's not a simple "happily-ever-after" kind of thing. it's deep, emotional, and sometimes pretty messy. But in the end, adoption is one of the most generous and rewarding things of all. In my eyes, adoption is one of the greatest gifts you could ever bestow upon someone. A chance to belong. To be loved. And to be chosen for these things.
To all of you who have chosen to adopt children as part of their family, I thank you.
For giving a child a home. For giving him a chance at a normal life. And for offering him your love.
In appreciation of all you are doing, I would like to thank you personally with your first family photos. Better known as a "Red Thread Session," these unique services are available for free to newly adoptive parents:
- a family portrait session within the first 3 months of your finalized adoption to capture family portraits of your new family
- a homecoming session where I'd meet you at your home to capture the arrival of your child and the first moments with your family
- a birth photography session to capture the birth of the adoptive child in an open adoption
Please visit the website of Red Thread Sessions for more details/qualification information. Or if you are ready to get started, you can contact me directly. I will be offering up to 6 of these sessions per year (and more if my schedule permits). I look forward to meeting your beautiful family.
Why my involvement with this cause? Not many people know this, but before becoming a photographer it was my dream to be a psychologist/therapist/counselor of some kind. I graduated from Cal State Fullerton with my B.A. in Psychology, then went on to work in a few different children's group homes. I fell in love with the children's spirits (even when they were being their most difficult), but was heartbroken at seeing the reality of "the system" from the inside. I wanted to delve further into this field, but life had different plans for me. I am someone who takes everything to heart and found that I was just too "soft" to continue in this line of work. I wasn't able to leave things "at the door" and took the stress of the situation home with me. After months of insomnia, nightmares and near ulcers, I was forced to re-evaluate my path in life. Changing the direction of my life was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make.
And so, I went on to pursue other dreams, never leaving this one far behind. I've continued to work with kids... volunteering, teaching and empowering them whenever an opportunity arises.
When I hear of an adoption... I light up with joy. Parents given a child they thought they'd never have, and children given a family they've always wanted.
One less kid who has to grow up in "the system," and one more family given the chance for happiness and love.
To all adoptive families... I thank you. From the bottom of my heart.