Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Pagan Families

Home
Pagan
Family, Parenting and Religion
Adopting While Pagan, Part 1

Adopting While Pagan, Part 1

Last updated on: June 15, 2013 at 9:58 am by Sarah Whedon

Adopting While Pagan, Part 1 2013-06-15T09:58:45-04:00 Sarah Whedon

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This is an interview with Tara “Masery” Miller about her experience initiating the adoption process. She writes the Staff of Asclepius blog here at Patheos and we previously published her beautiful essay about facing infertility.

Adoption is something I have little experience with so I’m really happy she volunteered to share her first-hand experience. She said, “I hope my experience can help other Pagan or magical families going through the adoption process or thinking about it.” I hope so too!

1. Why did you decide to pursue adoption?

My husband and best friend, Michael, and I were married in 1996 while living in Cape Girardeau, MO. Almost right away we began trying to start a family. When I was in my early 20s, I became seriously ill. Diabetes and hypothyroid almost put me in a coma. A really wonderful OBGYN, Tammy Williams, recognized my declining health symptoms as possible Mosaic Turners Syndrome. She referred me to a geneticist in St. Louis. Females have two x chromosomes but I have an x and partial x. Girls who have Turners usually can be treated with hormones, as long as treatment starts before puberty, and live fairly normal lives. It was too late for me though since I had premature ovarian failure.

Both of us went into a period of grief mourning the possibilities. We had spent a couple of years dreaming and planning how we would raise our children and what we would name them. We wanted one or two.

Instead of adopting, we ended up being busy in the Pagan community and I finished college. We had a lot more time to think about what it’s like to be parents and what it would take. Also, with our disabilities we really didn’t think we could pull it off.

After being in California, we’re now living closer to my family, we have a lot more support. We are also older and have more experience with children. I have helped quite a bit with my nieces and nephews. One I watched almost daily when he was an infant. We are also taking our health more seriously. You can’t give all of your time to another living being if you aren’t willing to care for yourself.

I wanted to adopt for several reasons. I don’t want to speak for my husband Mike so for me personally a couple of things happened. My best friends had their first child and my sister had her fourth. I was surrounded by infants and felt my biological clock ticking. I’m 36. If we adopt a 5 year old this year we’ll be in our late forties when they graduate from High School. Some people are grandparents at that age. I want to be able to get on the floor and play with my children and grandchildren. Heck, even pick them up and lug what they need around.

The other is more spiritual. I’m known in my family for predicting births. Spirits will come to me and ask to be a part of the family. I’d direct them to my sister until the last one. She just said I’m coming! They show me what they will look like, too. Either at birth or a year or so into the future. Well, finally I got a vision of a little girl, not a spirit wanting to be born but a child coming into my life and I felt the Goddesses’ blessings. That’s how I knew it was time.

2. What are your hopes and dreams for your adoption?

That we can offer a safe home to a couple of kids. We’ll have good times and bad. Laughter and tears. Overall I want us to build many wonderful memories.

Tomorrow I’ll publish part 2 in which she responds to lots of questions about the intersection between Paganism and adoption.

Image: Some rights reserved by Horia Varlan http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4273168957/

Mosaic Turners Syndrome

Pagan

Paganism

Tara "Masery" Miller

Previous Post

June 7, 2013

Book Birthday: And the winner is...

Next Post

June 11, 2013 Adopting While Pagan, part 2

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Adoption birth Birth Guardians birth stories breastfeeding Contraception divorce Flash Points From the Editor's Desk grandparenting home infertility marriage menstruation Miscarriage Pagan Families Parenting poetry postpartum pregnancy review ritual sex education Uncategorized Wednesday Wisdom

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group emphasizes speaking in tongues as evidence of faith?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Methodists Pentecostals Presbyterians Catholics