Today, the Saturday before Mother's Day, is Birthmother's Day. It's a day to recognize and honor those women who made a very difficult and loving choice to place their child for adoption.
In Ethiopia, this decision was most often made because of extreme poverty or illness, leaving the birthmother without any ability to provide food, basic needs or a future for their child or children. Sometimes the birthmother is deceased and this difficult decision falls to the father or another living relative.
We have heard birthmothers tell us - with tears - that God has answered their prayers in placing their child in a family, giving them the hope and a future that she was unable to provide. Most of us cannot imagine having to make a choice like this.
Birthmothers hold a very special place in the community of mothers. I know that this weekend as they receive flowers and gifts of love from their children, many adoptive moms will be thinking of the women who gave them the priceless honor of raising their child.
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While our ministry director, Joy Casey, is in Ethiopia this month she is meeting with many birthmothers to deliver photographs and update letters from the families who adopted their children.
Be sure to read these posts about birthmothers in Ethiopia:
Desperate Mothers
May We Never Forget
The Decision to Relinquish
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