Dear Birthmother,
Our names are Risa (like Lisa with an “R”) and Michael, and we want to become parents more than anything. We have a lot of love to share and would be thrilled to complete our family circle with a child in the center of our lives. We can only imagine how difficult your decision to choose adoption has been and want you to know that we appreciate and admire your strength and courage. You are making a loving decision with your baby’s best interests at heart.
We know first hand the joy that adoption can bring to a family. Michael was adopted, and he grew up happy and knowing he was specially chosen. We understand the wonderful influence a loving, supportive, adoptive family can have on a child. Let us assure you, that if we are blessed by being chosen to raise your child, we will love and adore him/her and provide a bright future full of opportunities. Your child will grow up in a stable, loving and fun-filled home; surrounded by family and friends with two parents who will do their best to raise a responsible and kind child.
We both are lucky to have been raised in close, loving families who continue to be a very important part of our lives. Our upbringing has prepared us well for parenting and taught us to be respectful, honest, caring and compassionate people.
We spend a lot of time with our family, either dinners or holidays with Michael’s family or frequent visits to/from Buffalo with Risa’s family. All of our traditions are centered on family and friends. We always have large gatherings to celebrate the holidays together. Your child will have many cousins to grow up with and who can’t wait to meet and play with him/her.
We are not only soul mates but best friends and love spending time together. We met by being set up on a blind date through a mutual friend. For our first date we went bowling (we discovered that both of us are horrible bowlers) and then we went shopping to Target. We realize that this is not exactly a typical romantic first date, but it worked for us! Now every year on the anniversary of our first date, we bowl and go to Target. In addition to bowling and shopping together, we enjoy working out, watching movies, playing games, taking our dog, Laila, for a walk or just sitting down for dinner together every night.
We have the opportunity to provide your child with a stay-at-home mom. Risa is a television freelancer and Realtor and is completely flexible, working as much or as little as she likes. With her time at home, Risa enjoys cooking, sewing, knitting, gardening and other crafts. She also is very active volunteering with several non-profit agencies around Chicago and was a Big Sister for many years. She cannot wait to turn her time and attention to taking care of a baby.
Talking about Risa is like reciting one of many of short stories. Any one will reveal how she lives with purpose and finds ways to bring happiness with her wherever she may be.
Risa is not a selfish person. She always has time in her day for other people and puts the well being of others before herself. She is a passionate person in many ways. Her passion drives her to help people. She has volunteered her time for many worthy causes for youth.
While Risa wears her emotions on her arm, it is why we are a match. Sharing both good & bad times together, emotions are always shared. We are so connected that I was worried she would find her engagement ring before I had the chance to propose.
Her unconditional nature affords those that meet her, the opportunity build the foundation for a lasting friendship. Risa loves to open up our home to those around us, especially, when they are away from family around the holidays.
Risa is simply amazing in the kitchen. She can take yesterdays leftover’s and make it today’s delicacy. It is a magical transformation. Because she keeps outdoing herself in the kitchen, I know her best recipe has yet to come, and you can count on such delights to be created for your child.
Her crafts extend beyond the kitchen as well; homemade soaps to assorted knitting to making baby blankets for friends and family. She now looks forward to making a very special baby blanket for our child sometime soon.
If you were to ask Risa about family, you would find that she holds that close to her heart. Having seen how a family works from one side of the coin, she is more than ready to step into the role on the other side. I would say that we have already started.
I love Risa because of how she is in tune with the little things. She has her own quirks and idiosyncrasies that when woven together make her like no other. Better yet, how she accepts mine proves to me that she is truly special. Her sensitivity, her moral fabric, her inner strength are just a few of the things that separate her from the all others. Our time together has already felt as if it were a lifetime. Knowing this, she is a loving wife and (hopefully soon), mother too!
Michael is a construction project manager and goes to work early and comes home early so that he has plenty of time when he gets home for family-time. Michael works very hard to insure success for him and our family, but no matter what the workday brings, he comes home with a warm smile and looks forward to a big hug and kisses from me and Laila (just the kisses from Laila).
My husband, Michael, is the kindest man I know. He is genuine. He loves with his whole heart. He is wonderful to me and our family. When I met him I knew he was the one for me. There were no awkward moments or uncertainties, it just fit and has ever since. He is my confidant. I can tell him anything.
One of the first things I noticed about Michael is his love for children and how much they love him. My niece and cousins were drawn to him immediately, and at family functions, I always know where to find him – wherever all the kids are playing, and he is usually the one having the most fun. It’s fun to watch kids when Michael walks into a room; he is like a magnet to them! Michael is 6’1” and children love to climb and hang on him. He is a child at heart and will be an active parent. Any child would be fortunate to have such an involved and loving dad.
He is one of the most creative people I know. He has a great imagination and can create beautiful and amazing things.
He loves Star Wars. He has an extensive collection of memorabilia from the series. He is a sports enthusiast and played football and lacrosse in high school and college. He looks forward to sharing his passions with a child.
Michael has remained strong and loving throughout the good and bad times that we have faced so far.
Michael takes pride in being a wonderful husband and will take even greater pride being a father!
We cannot sum up our excitement about sharing our life with a child in these few paragraphs. However, we hope that it helped you to learn a little bit about us and our commitment to sharing our family traditions and raising a child with the same unconditional love, values and respect that we were both raised with.
We hope that this has given you a glimpse into our lives and you have a sense of peace that choosing us to raise your baby would be the best decision that you can make. Your child will be raised in a financially secure home with two parents who will cherish and love him/her. We hope that this has helped you learn a little bit about our life and the family that we will be to a child. We believe in raising a child who can celebrate their spirituality, hold fast to their own moral philosophies, and relish the small beauties of life. As parents, we will support your child when they struggle, applaud them when they do well and guide them when they make mistakes. We look forward to introducing your child to a world of opportunities and making their dreams come true. Likewise, we would be happy to send you letters and photographs letting you know how your child is getting along, if you wish.
We are grateful that you are making this decision and so appreciate the opportunity to share our story with you. If you would like to know more about us, talk with us by telephone, or even meet us in person, please let our attorneys, Steve and Joel Kirsh, know. You can reach them any time at 800-333-5736.
Thanks again for considering us as adoptive parents for your child,
