Warrior Moms by Jean MacLeod I didn't sign up to be a Warrior Mom. It was awarded to me by default: I showed up to mother a baby. In the early days of our adoption, I clanked around in oversize Armor that hung heavy and slow. It took me awhile to realize that it had been designed for me to grow into... I'd been outfitted as a Warrior Mom but didn't understand what I was fighting. It was with fear and steel that I dealt with awful knowledge: I was fighting for the love and affection of a baby who no longer trusted. Making a child's world right is all-consuming and never-ending. I figured out why I wore Armor: it held me up at the end of the day. So many invisible dragons to slay! I battled for my baby and I battled to be her mother. I took rejection-- arrows glancing off metal-- and came back for more. I demanded a place in the life of my daughter and I learned to share her with her past. I became a Warrior Mom and ditched the Armor, but kept the shield. Not for me, but to protect the child that became mine through sweat and tears and years of no sleep! Who knew this Mom could tilt at windmills angry feelings and powerful ghosts? I don't cook, can't sew, won't craft but I learned I could fight and I don't give up. Sometimes it takes a Warrior Mom to claim a child who has gone past love. Untapped, under-appreciated, a Mother's Will is Mighty. It can make love spring from metal And change Armor to open arms.

Be A Warrior Mom We must constantly fight to win over our children and convince them that we will never break their hearts as their birthmothers did. As much as they push us away, we must pull them back harder. We must show them that we are stronger than they are and we will never give up. We must be Warrior Moms, fighting for their love and trust. Show yourself (and your kids) how proud you are to be a Warrior Mom, and help Attach-China/International continue to educate and support adoptive families. Donate $10 or more to Attach-China/International, and receive a purple Warrior Mom bracelet.