Rabbits have been associated with luck for two millennia. Some believe that saying Rabbit, Rabbit on the first of the month will be a harbinger of good fortune. But, if one forgets to say it on the first, saying it backwards,Tibbar Tibbar, at your first opportunity will re-set one’s luck. Whew! Forwards or backwards, I am promoting the hope that our good fortunes will prevail.

November was National Adoption Awareness Month. What does that mean to me as an adoptee, adoptive parent and clinician? It means that it is complicated. I cherish the gift of my adoptive family. I am sad that I have not reunited with my birth family. I feel blessed to provide mental health interventions for the new generations of fostered and adoptees. I am angry that 26,000 inter-country adoptees have been denied US Citizenship. I struggle with the ongoing effort to make Original Birth Certificates available to all adoptees. I honor those who Flip the Script.… Read the rest “Tibbar! Tibbar!”

How did the canine become our best friend? Purpose, Empathy, Loyalty. We’ve all heard many tales of a dog’s courage, tenacity and sheer will to serve a greater good. We all remember the Faithful Dog, Hachiko, who dutifully held vigil for his master’s return for 9 years. Canines are renown for their heroic exploits during the many global crises in recent memory. May this Year of the Dog inspire us to emulate the canine instinct to live intentionally, walk in the shoes of the other, and remember the communities that we are beholden to.… Read the rest “4716, Year of the Dog”

Implicit or explicit memories. Lived memories or cultural memories passed down from elders. Memories that we strive to remember or reconstruct. Disremembering: feeling apart or gaps in memories or history is a state of being for many adoptees. How do we create our personal narratives from the disremembered? This is a task for exploration by many adoptees.… Read the rest “Disremembering. Apart from me, yet a part of me”