On Saturday 6th July, on the beautiful stretch of beach Bournemouth offers, adoption unified us at Walk Together with fellow adopters, adoptees, birth mothers and others connected by adoption.
Meeting by the hustle and bustle of SOBO beach, we grabbed our coffees and walk together t-shirts, setting off for the first ever Walk Together 5km walk. The yellow-sand beach provided the backdrop for our chats, laughs and even tears. The pure joy of connecting with individuals who make us feel less alone. People can be connected to adoption in various ways, and we can be on either side of the story. Sharing our stories with each other allows us to experience both sides, and revel in the comfort of feeling understood.
It is incredibly brave to come share your story, talk with others, and even allowing yourself to receive empathy. We acknowledge the bravery and difficulty of this and commend all who share their stories and speak out. It can be so challenging to put yourself out there and openly discuss your experiences. However, the reward this bravery gifts you with is well worth the challenge. We left the walk with new friendships, and stories we would have never heard if we had not come together that Saturday morning.
We walked together, talked together and felt together. Until next time, we hope to walk together with you all again, connecting through the wonderful rollercoaster of adoption.
Please keep an eye on our Eventbrite, Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up to date with our future Walk Together events.
Instagram: @walktogetheradoption
Facebook: Walk Together Adoption
A great event and chance to support a cause that needs much more attention.