Meet Angela! She's a long time friend of BraveLove's and one of our newest contributors to the Being A Birth Mom column...
Hello! My name is Angela. I am a cancer survivor, daughter, sister, wife, mom, stepmom, and birth mom, but birth mom is one I will always cherish the most. I earned the birth mom title when I was just 17 years old when I placed my daughter for adoption in 1996.
In the beginning of my pregnancy, I had every intention of parenting. I had made plans, picked a name, and even started buying the things she would need. But when I learned what adoption would mean for my daughter, I made an adoption plan. It was hard! During the last few months of my pregnancy, I struggled with my adoption plan. Let’s be honest most people don’t wake up wanting to place their child for adoption. The day she was born the room was filled with so much love waiting to celebrate her, and one look at her perfection and the doubt was gone! She was perfect and deserved so much more than I was equipped to provide. Our adoption was semi-open but I have been blessed that our openness is beginning to grow and new relationships are forming.
During a 5-year season, God placed a calling on my life that I argued with him about for a good six months. But quickly learned when God says “go” you go! This led me to an amazing, rewarding, and yet emotional job at a local pregnancy center. It was through this ministry, I learned about BraveLove and had the opportunity to attend my first birth mom dinner. This was the first time I had connected with other birth moms since the mandatory preplacement counseling and groups. I was super nervous but beyond blessed by the connections I have since made.
My husband and I continue to follow God’s calling and have been in children’s ministry for years and recently became Children's Pastors at our home church. We have been married for almost 17 years and have a beautiful blended family with three amazing children. I enjoy hanging out with our friends, my family time, traveling to new places, and most of all sharing God’s unending joy, forgiveness, and healing.
