Renee

Dear birth mother,

My name is Renee, and I am delighted to have the chance to tell you a bit about myself. I am a single woman who is looking to adopt a child to fulfill a lifelong dream of raising children. I have been surrounded by children all of my life. I helped raise seven younger brothers and sisters (I was the 5th oldest in my family), and I have 25 wonderful nieces and nephews. We are a close-knit family and much of what we do is geared around the children. My parents set a fantastic example of parenting, and I can proudly say that my seven brothers and two sisters who have children are really solid parents. It is always a delight to get together with the whole family, as we often do at Christmas and at our biannual summer vacation.

I am a professor of literature, and my specialty is in African literature. I taught in Zimbabwe for two years right after college and this gave me the desire to learn more about African culture. As a professor, I am sometimes able to travel to various African countries for research and conferences. This helps to satisfy my favorite past time -- ravelling to other countries and learning about other cultures. During the next five years, I hope to be able to live in South Africa for six months to a year to do more serious research on a topic I am pursuing. I would love to bring my child along and give him or her an opportunity to live in another culture too.

Finally, let me tell you a bit about my faith. I am a devoted Catholic, and I worship in a wonderful church that was founded as an African American worshipping community. Today, it hosts a very racially mixed congregation, and we celebrate the diversity of our community and our service. This church is an extension for me of the community I worshippped in when I lived in Zimbabwe. It has many opportunities for children (a children's choir, a dance group for older children, Sunday school for children), so I am eager to give my child the chance to grow in his or her faith in this community.

That covers the main aspects of my life: family, faith, and the literary arts. Let me just add that I deeply understand the need to foster growth in children and I am excited about having the chance to teach my child from what I have experienced as well as to learn from the uniqueness that my child will bring to my life.

Let me close by saying how much I respect your courageous act of considering adoption for your child. You are making a very difficult decision, one which is rooted in your love for your child and your concern for your child's best future. I wish for you the peace of Christ as you continue along this difficult journey.

Best,

Renee