CITY MORNINGS

I love my home office. It is on the 17^th floor of an apartment building in New York City with a great view. Of course, I had to place my desk to take advantage of that view and I love it. It is especially nice in the early mornings, with the sun rising in the East and the City starting to stir.

It reminds me of when my daughters were very young. I trained myself to get up a bit before them. I would wash up, make a cup of coffee and enjoy the few minutes of quiet time before our busy day began.

Whether playing in the home or in the park when they were young, or getting ready for the school day and other activities – once they were up – my day was centered around their needs. Even when I went back to work, I scheduled homestudies, counseling sessions and meetings, as much as I could, around them.

I loved my time with the girls. But many days, I felt I was on a “treadmill of life”. I would leave them with their babysitter or drop them at school or a friend’s house and watch the clock to make sure to be back on time.

Nowadays, while the girls don’t live at home anymore, I speak to them almost every day. My daughter just texted me a photo of her dog still snuggled in the blankets not wanting to get out of bed.  I touch base with my mom frequently, too, as things happen, to ask a question or just to say we are thinking of one another.

So as I sit in the office on this quiet morning and the sun rises in the sky, I can hear the sounds of the City coming alive. The sweet songs of the birds are morphing into people on the way to daily activities. Dogs are being taken for their first walks, children are off to camp and other activities and people are heading to work.

I love working from home and avoiding the hustle and bustle of commuting to the office.  I like being able to set my own schedule.

Speaking of which, my coffee cup (iced in the summer) is almost empty, signaling that it’s time to head out the door for a family visit. This one is to meet their new daughter. I love my job and am honored to be part of every adoption journey.

Kathy Ann Brodsky, LCSW is a New York and New Jersey licensed social worker, adoptive mom and advocate for ethical adoption practice. She has prepared thousands of adoption homestudies, counseled adoptive parents and parents-to-be, and has trained professionals to work with adoptive families. She was Director of the Ametz Adoption Program of JCCA from March 1992 to March 2015, was Head Writer for Adoption.net, a member of the Advisory Board for POV’s Adoption Series She is currectly a member of the Adoption Advisory Board of Path2Parenthood and active in the Adoptive Parents Committee in New York, where she has a private practice specializing in adoption and adoptive parenting. She was named an “Angel in Adoption” by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption in 2001. Follow or reach her at ADOPTION MAVEN BLOG or EMAIL.