The Branches We Cherish

A powerful and honest account based on three decades of true-life experienceIn 1992, Linda and David long to have a child. They decide to adopt a baby and learn they can only do so under an open arrangement. Open adoption means the biological parents and the adoptive family know each other¿s identities and choose to remain in contact after the adoption process if finalized¿possibly for life!There are no ready answers to their many questions: What happens in the first year? Twenty years later? What does visitation between birth and adoptive families look like? Will it be awkward to raise a child with the birth parents in the picture? How do adopted children feel about this open arrangement? In the early 90s, there is little guidance for long-term relationships between adoptive and birth families and they will have to learn as they go. Diving in with open hearts and open minds, they build relationships based on mutual trust, respect, deep gratitude for one another, and most importantly,