I've always felt that unless you know me and my specific situation, you shouldn't get to tell me what to do or how to live. When Kelly and I started dating, she really wanted to me read The Heart of the Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman. She explained to me what it was about and how it could help me but . . . well, to make a long story short, that was nine years ago and I still don't think I've read it. If I have, I've blocked it from my memory.
The one relationship book I've read (and I would highly recommend) is For Men Only, by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhan. It's the companion piece to For Women Only, and both of these books really hit the nail on the head. They don't reinforce stereotypes, they simply report their findings (based on interviews and studies) and then try to explain the opposite sex in words your sex would understand. Kelly heard Shaunti speak once and came home, finally understanding the words that had been coming out of my mouth for years.
I say all this to say that I don't like asking for help from strangers (insert asking for directions joke here). I have an instant distrust for anyone who writes a "how to" book. However, I also recognize when I know nothing about a particular subject. I have some theories on fatherhood and parenting, but I honestly don't know anything about adoption (outside of what Oliver Twist and Annie have taught me). So last night I bought some books (this time from McKay, where I spent only 9 bucks on four books).
Kelly and I are going to read these books and report back to you on our findings from each of them. They are, in no particular order:
- Fast Track Adoption, by Susan Burns
- Successful Adoption: A Guide For Christian Families, by Natalie Nichols Gillespie
- The Post-Adoption Blues, by Karen J. Foli and John R. Thompson
- Two Little Girls, by Theresa Reid
So stay tuned! There's no due date (thankfully), but book reports will be forthcoming!
And if there's anyone out there who's already gone through this, was there a book or a site that helped you? We're really quite open to anything, be it a how-to guide, a what-to-expect guide, or a memoir.
-S
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