In this episode of Choosing Adoption, Emily shares her birth mother journey that began when she discovered her pregnancy at 16. Her mother's immediate response set the tone for everything that followed: wrapping her arms around Emily and saying they'd get through it together. Her adoption counselor made clear to everyone that this was Emily's decision alone, creating space for her to choose without pressure from any direction.
Finding the Right Family and Building Trust
Emily spoke with multiple families before finding the one where she felt an instant bond. The relationship built during pregnancy proved genuine when her daughter Beth was born. Emily describes the placement as the hardest thing she's ever done, crying for six months afterward, yet she never doubted her decision. She learned to hold both grief and peace at the same time, missing her baby while finding joy in seeing Beth thrive.
A Mother's Love
Twenty-five years later, Emily maintains a close relationship with Beth and her adoptive family. She went dress shopping with Beth two days before her wedding and sang at the ceremony. The adoptive mother describes their relationship as a team, with both mothers providing what the other cannot. Emily's message challenges the harmful phrase that birth mothers give up their children, instead offering a truth that transforms the narrative: I didn't give you up, I gave a mother's love.
Listen now to hear how love creates families in unexpected ways.Follow or Subscribe to Choosing Adoption on your favorite platforms:
Website: https://choosingadoption.com/
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com