Results: "Families Don't Have to Match"

Jessica Satterfield of Greenville, South Carolina understands this concept better than most. The mother of three doesn't look like any of her adopted children, but that doesn't make them any less hers. She recently went online to discuss what it's like to raise children who "don't match" their parents, and her observations are absolutely heartwarming! Do you know anyone whose family "doesn't match"?

"I glanced in the mirror one night when I was putting my children to bed and suddenly remembered that I didn't grow them in my belly when I saw our reflection staring back at us. It might sound weird that I forget that my children are adopted, but I do. Because to me, they're just my children." Are your children adopted, or have you ever considered adopting a child?

My family doesn't look like most. I am a white mama to three beautiful brown children. And although most of the time we don't notice, others around us do. We walk into stores or restaurants, and people stare or give us a double glance. I choose to believe it's because they think our family is beautiful and are curious of our story. Have you ever caught yourself staring at something - or someone when perhaps you shouldn't?

We were on our way back from the beach last summer eating our hamburgers in a restaurant, and I noticed an older man staring at us. I started to become annoyed and wished for at least once, we could eat a meal like a 'normal' family. I suddenly noticed the man walking toward our direction, and my heart began to race. He shook my husband's hand and nodded his head in my direction. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at my children and said, 'I just wanted to tell you that you have such a beautiful family.' I watched him walk out the door as tears rolled down my cheeks. Have you ever stopped to say something kind and encourage a total stranger?

I hate the saying 'love is colorblind.' Because that is simply not true. Love is celebrating diversity, honoring our differences, and respecting our uniqueness. Oh, how others miss out on such greatness when they pretend we all match skin. Celebrating diversity in our family is simply a part of our family culture — it always has been, and it always will be. Does your family do anything to celebrate its (perhaps diverse) historical roots?

Last summer, we went to the park. Our foster son had only been with us for a few weeks. He was climbing on a jungle gym with another little boy he had met at the park. I heard the little boy ask him, 'Why is your mom white and you're brown?' And without skipping a beat, he said, 'Families don't have to match to be a family. What makes a family is their love.' My eyes filled up with tears, and my heart almost exploded, so proud of our boy. Do you think children sometimes explain things better than adults?