First we told our closest friends knowing they would be excited for us. They truly were - and still are. This helped us to build up our confidence and it was the first link in our network of support resources we were to build.

It became apparent early in our process that having people we could share our feelings with would be real important and, in fact, crucial to our emotional well being. One by one, we told our friends and our families and our network grew. Pretty soon everyone close to us had become part of our adventure - and all were open and willing to lend support and assistance when called upon.

When we broke our news to others their reactions were always charged with excitement and sometimes surprise and even some disbelief. Many times tears of love and joy were shared and our bonds of family and friendship grew stronger. The strength that Carolyn and I drew from everyone pushed us along each and every day. In fact, it carried us all the way to China and back!

If you are considering adoption or have already started the process and are reading this, build your support network! Seek out those you know will be there to support you and help you along. The strength you can get from just one loving and supportive friend or family member can go a long way!