I read a research-based article today and the gist of it was that if a mom smokes while she is pregnant, her daughter responds with the stress hormone cortisol. It affects her development. It also predisposes her to become a smoker herself when she grows up. More than sons even, the daughters have a greater risk of becoming smokers if they were exposed prenatally. That is just so unfair. It’s hard-wired in her to have to struggle with this addiction some day…..
Thankfully, even though our daughter’s birth mom was a heavy smoker and exposed her to far too much….we are not smokers. I don’t think Precious would know what a cigarette was even for! Josiah’s birth mom was also a smoker…but he is a boy so he is less likely to be susceptible….so there you have it. Nature vs. Nurture….over and over and over.
Parenting in and of itself is a very hard thing. Adding all these extra challenges that are specific to adoption are hard to reconcile…and yet we remember that because of adoption, we change the trajectory of a child’s life. We reroute their destination, and hopefully, are able to partner with the Lord to get our children exactly where He intended them to go…..
Adoption is a journey long after the child comes home….it is a perpetual journey that our God has us all travelling. I am grateful for the support of our adoption community so that no one has to travel alone.
