Adoption is, at Once, No Different at All and All So Different

Adoption is, at once, no different at all and all so different. The love is the same. The relationship is the same. The commitment is the same. But to act as though nothing is different—in welcoming a child who comes with their own history, story, and biological ties, who’s experienced some combination of trauma, abuse, and neglect—serves no one at all.
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Ignoring the realities of adoption allows no grace for the struggles we face as (adoptive) parents. More than that, it limits our ability to walk our children through their stories and partner with them in their healing. Our kids need us to acknowledge adoption. They need us to recognize the difference.
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So, adoptive parents, love your children like there’s no difference. But also, remember that there is.