When you get married or make a commitment to each other, there are vows, or a public statement followed by a celebration, when you decided to adopt, a declaration through the legal channels often does not signify the commitment that you are making.

 

No matter the age of the child, you wanted so badly for him or her to realise that this day is something special – this is forever....

 

Perhaps on the evening of the adoption, hours after the papers are signed, consider a family ceremony;  a committed forever in front of family and friends.

 

A beautiful ceremony woven together with moments that signified the depth of your new bond - words or a scripture, a song, a prayer and a covenant.

 

Words from the heart can be declared :

 

From the parents:

We are so happy that you are our son/daughter

We promise to do our best to be good parents

We will keep you safe and protect you

We will be here to listen to you

We will be here to guide you when life is hard or confusing

We will cheer you on and celebrate your victories

We will learn from love and we will do our best to love you that same way

 

From the child (if old enough:)

I am happy that you are my mom and dad

I promise to always make it a fun time

I promise to always be part of this family.

 

From the Family:

We will always love and respect each other

We will laugh and have fun together

And when we are sad, we will be there for each other

Together we will do our best to serve other people

And we will encourage one another

We will be a family forever.