Now I know how Trekkies feel. Not during their “real” lives, but while at StarCon.
I got to spend the weekend with one of my clans. A bunch of mostly strangers with a common experience and passion and language and pointy ears. Well, maybe not that last one, but a bunch of people who really want to make Adoption World better.
About 120 people converged at the University of Richmond School of Law for the 2011 Opening Adoption Symposium, hosted by Coordinators2, which did a fantastic job. There was a sub-clan of attendees who are also bloggers — people I have stalked and learned from online for years. Sharing with these women our passion for adoption blogging was exhilarating.
Whether it was riding in a cab with KatjaMichelle, clinking sangria glasses with 24/7 Social Worker, Lisa, Racilous and Cynthia (who conceived the conference) presenting my sessions with Judy and Amy, hanging out with Heather, or waiting for the first leg of our flight with Dawn Friedman, it was an amazing thing to meet and get to know each other in person over our common interest.
Topping off the conference were the wise words and ideas of keynoter Jim Gritter, author of the newly released book Hospitious Adoption. Here’s my twitter stream of my favorite of his quotes.
J Gritter: Growing up in a closed #adoption is like coming into a mystery movie 15 min late. You've missed the connetions #adoptionsymposium
— Lori Lavender Luz (Lori Holden) (@LavLuz) September 23, 2011
#Openadoption confuses child? JGritter responds: Is it your experience that when you're well-informed you're confused? #adoptionsymposium
— Lori Lavender Luz (Lori Holden) (@LavLuz) September 23, 2011
"I believe that adopted kids are entitled to their #birthparents." J Gritter. #adoptionsymposium
— Lori Lavender Luz (Lori Holden) (@LavLuz) September 23, 2011
As the conference ended a dear friend drove from her home to meet me and have an old-fashioned slumber party, a grown-up version that involved Kahlua and talking/crying/giggling until the wee hours.
The capstone of my days-long succession of perfect moments happened during the drive home from the airport when I was blasted with bliss. The 80-degree air smelled like home and was a gift to this summer-loving gal. I drove west toward the mountains, and the mountain panorama against the blue sky took my breath away. This coincided with Greenday’s Good Riddance on the radio and anticipation about seeing the faces of my husband and kids.
Love those bliss blasts. They come outta nowhere.
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Perfect Moment Monday is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between.
On the 4th Monday of each month we engage in mindfulness about something that is right with our world. Everyone is welcome to join.
To participate in Perfect Moment Monday:
- Follow Write Mind Open Heart.
- Between the Sunday night before and the Sunday night after, write up your own Perfect Moment.
- Visit the Perfect Moments of others and let the writers know you were there with some comment currency.
Once you make a Perfect Moment post , you may place this button on your blog. What Perfect Moment have you recently been aware of? Visit these moments of others and share your comment love.
Lori Holden, mom of a teen son and a young adult daughter, writes from Denver. Her book, The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, is available through your favorite online bookseller and makes a thoughtful anytime gift for the adoptive families in your life. Catch episodes of Adoption: The Long View wherever you get your podcasts.
Lori was honored as an Angel in Adoption® in 2018 by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.
Hey Lori!
I enjoyed time with my/our “tribe” as well. Great to be in your company (always) and present our session with you. I look forward to more time spent toward making adoption more open and “Adoption World” better. Rest, re-group and re-charge! 🙂
Judy
It sounds like a truly wonderful experience. I’m so glad you got to experience it.
Yay! So glad that Perfect Moment Mondays are back! Though I totally understood why you took a hiatus this summer… I enjoyed your post and am happy that you had such a nice weekend with your tribe of fellow Open Adoption advocates. Since my sister, brother-in-law and niece/Goddaughter are part of an open adoption and are preparing for another one with birth parents who have chosen them to raise their baby (due in November/December), I always appreciate what you have to share and like to be able to pass the info about open adoption to my sister. I am working on my Perfect Moment Monday post and will likely get it up and link to it here sometime tomorrow. 🙂
It really was a remarkable convergence, wasn’t it? I’m going to be going back to the well of this experience for a long, long time.
You were part of my perfect moment too 🙂 Well, perfect 18 hours.
It sounds like you did indeed have a perfect weekend, full of perfect moments. I am so glad. You are my go to source for all things adoption and I love the way you live your life, celebrate your family and the children that have made you one.
I am sure you were touched at that conference as much as you touch all the lives you are a part of.
I love these kind of moments. Connecting w/friends. Being with your “tribe.” And the perfect drive home to those you love most.
It’s probably a good thing you didn’t leave another pair of underwear in her bag. Not sure she could have handled that twice. 🙂
Yay for perfect moment’s being back!
Sounds like a fabulous conference. I love all of the take aways from a great conference like the information, networking, and motivational feeling it leaves you with.
Your tribe ROCKS!
Okay, I am back to echo Mel from Full Circle’s sentiments, your tribe does ROCK and I feel blessed and lucky to consider myself part of at least one of your tribes. 🙂
I finished my PMM post, linked up and have commented on all those who have linked up so far today. Thanks again for bringing this back. I look forward to the 4th Monday next month!
Also, I totally missed, until I read Mel from Stirrup Queen’s comment and post today, that you and she got to connect this weekend. That’s awesome and I really appreciate what she wrote on her blog about how grateful she is to know and have you in her life. I feel the same way about both of you and so many others that I have met in the blogosphere! It was so great to meet Mel in person two years ago when she was in Chicago and I hope to see her again someday. I really hope tha tI get to meet you in person someday too! xoxo
Lori- I am SO glad to have connected with you in person. There’s no question we’ll hang out again and in the meantime, i’m grateful for this computer device thingy..
Thank you so much for your awesome contribution to the conference- hard to imagine it without you and am glad I don’t have to. xo
Thanks for bringing back Perfect Moment Monday! What a great way to gather and share Perfect Moments!
I’m so glad you got to catch up with so many of your friends. I bet your presentation was awesome too!
Oh how I miss the beautiful mountains of Colorado! But I’ll be back soon and have a feeling I’ll experience a Bliss Blast of my own. Can’t wait!
That sounds like a fantastic weekend!
Beautiful! Ditto what Kir said. 🙂
So happy that you had a good time at the conference. And thank God for deciding to not leave the underwear…*giggle*
What is Kahlua?
It’s a yummy liqueur drink made from coffee. Add a little half & half and pour over ice. Yum!
That sounds AH-mazing 🙂 I’m so glad you got to spend time with your tribe.
Yay Perfect Moments! I really wanted to do one, but I have had the week from hell. Next time 🙂