Introducing “Belonging Matters: Conversations on Adoption, Family, and Kinship” by Julie Ryan McGue
“Belonging Matters” is a book that addresses adoption and its impact on identity, family, and kinship. It encourages readers to contemplate the significance of belonging in shaping personal experiences and relationships. The book supports the adoption community while engaging those outside it in meaningful conversations about acceptance and inclusion. Ultimately, it highlights the importance of belonging in enriching our lives and driving us toward fulfillment.
Buy the book here!
- What connections does the book draw between belonging and mental well-being?
To grasp and process the implications of trauma and loss inherent in the adoption experience, as well as the concepts of rejection and secondary rejection, I suggest support group therapy, individual sessions with an adoption counselor, and extensive reading of current adoption literature. This is mentioned frequently within the essay collection.
- What insights does the book offer into the diverse experiences within the adoption community?
The book offers conversations with adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents. It is imperative to consider each of those unique perspectives when grappling with the complexity of the adoption experience.
- How does the book advocate for inclusivity in discussions surrounding adoption?
Belonging Matters suggests that to understand the complexity of the adoption experience, one must look at the perspectives of those involved: the adoptee, the birth parents, the adoptive parents, and the friends and family that love and support them. Conversations among that triad drives understanding, relationship, and belonging.
Click here for part 6!
