Elizabeth

Dear Birthmother,
Thank you so much for considering me as you go about choosing a loving and nurturing home for your child. I am so excited to offer a child a life full of love, learning, creativity and joy. My hope is to create many opportunities for a little boy or girl to become all that he or she is meant to be, and to always show them they are loved by me, and also by you, knowing what a brave and selfless decision you are making to find the right home for them. I have so much respect for your courage and strength and, wherever you are, you are in my prayers for strength and peace during this time.

Who I Am
I live in New York City on Fifth Avenue, across the street from Central Park. I am a writer (just finished my first book, which will come out next fall!) and I also work as a minister in an Episcopal Church in Manhattan. My parents and two sisters, along with my eight nieces and nephews, live in Colorado, where I grew up. I am also blessed to have many close friends in New York and elsewhere (including California, Oregon, Canada and France). So you might say I have the best of all worlds available to me—cities, beaches and mountains—when I visit my family and friends.

I am athletic and have always loved sports. In high school I was an All-State basketball player, and now I jog and bicycle in Central Park, and I love to play tennis. I also see a lot of independent plays and movies. These are just a few of the many reasons I love living in New York.

Growing up in Colorado, my family spent summers at a log cabin on a lake in the Rocky Mountains, which was in my family since my great-grandfather started going there in 1914. The place made for a very happy childhood. At the lake, my sisters Jenny and Wendy and I, with six of our cousins, all learned to water ski, fly fish, and sail. No night was complete without making s'mores in front of the big stone fireplace, and no day passed without double-dog-daring each other to jump into the icy lake, and seeing who could stay in the longest before turning to ice cubes.

My parents made sure my sisters and I had a chance to learn all kinds of life skills (which I want my children to have too), from piano and tennis lessons, to ski trips and nights at the symphony. With his clever jokes and stories, my dad taught me how important it is to laugh in life, and with our shared love of movies and books, my mom taught me the joys of art and learning. They did everything they knew how to make my sisters and me into compassionate, responsible people who love life and care about others.

My whole family is excited about my decision to become a mother through adoption, and they can't wait to welcome a new child into the family.

What Have I Done with My Life?
I started my professional life as a writer. I moved to Paris soon after college, and got a job covering daily events in France for international print and TV news with the Associated Press. Next I worked at George magazine in New York, where I worked with John F. Kennedy, Jr., who was a great boss and a friend. After George, I worked at Travel + Leisure magazine, and I was sent on many trips throughout the world to write about them, including Greece, Spain, Hungary and France. I also went dog sledding in Canada, helicopter skiing in Alaska, sailing in Sweden, and bear watching on Vancouver Island. I loved to discovering so many new places and meeting new people and learning about their lives.

A big career shift came about five years ago when I went to graduate school at Yale to study theology. I continue to do a lot of writing as well as teaching, and I love helping adults and children explore their spiritual paths. I also continue to travel. I just returned from two weeks in Jordan and Israel, where I was visiting schools for blind and deaf children, and clinics for the disabled, who are all learning powerful new life skills. Two years ago, I visited five villages in Tanzania, where my church helps guarantee that children who have been orphaned can receive an education.

The belief system that underpins my life as a minister in the Episcopal Church can be summed up in one phrase: God is love!

What Do I Know About Children?
Besides watching my eight nieces and nephews grow up, I am connected to all kinds of children at my church and through many friends of mine who are parents in New York and in other cities. My cousin, who is a close friend, is raising her daughter in Paris and we visit each other often. I am also involved in the lives of many of my friends’ children in New York. Twice I have had the high honor of being invited to be a “special person” for two kids on days when their schools had “Grandparents and Special Person Day.” I also love going to Central Park with the children in my life to see the zoo, play baseball, push them on the swing sets, or take them out for ice cream. Also, I just became the godmother to my close friends' new baby boy in San Francisco. I am happy to say, when I become a mother, my child will have instant friends from coast to coast!

How Do I Feel About Education?
One of the best things I ever heard a mother say to her child when he got home from school was, "What good questions did you ask today?" Whenever I have the chance, I encourage the children in my life to pay attention to their curiosity about the world, and to ask good questions. I encourage them to reach for their full potential, and to always speak up and express themselves so they can find their voice and be heard, while also learning to listen well to others. One of the things I hope I will do well as a parent is to really listen to my child, and to always let them feel safe enough to express their thoughts and feelings, and above all, to always ask their questions.

I went to college at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where I majored in history. I also have a master's degree from Yale, and I studied abroad three different times in Costa Rica, Wales, and Paris. I believe a broad education and the chance to study foreign languages are essential for understanding the world. I will see that a child in my care has the best education we can afford, and all the opportunities to learn that I can offer him or her.

"I get by with a little help from my friends..."
John is one of my closest friends. He makes beautiful textiles in India, and we just finished writing a book together about him and his work. He is looking forward to being “uncle John.” He says,

"I know Elizabeth will be an amazing mother because of the way she interacts with the world. What struck me when I met Elizabeth 15 years ago was her inquisitive nature and her breadth of knowledge. A child growing up in her world would be exposed to interesting ideas and intriguing people. Her circle of friends includes writers, artists, poets and bankers. She is interested in people and it shows by the devotion of her friends. On top of that, she is a gifted athlete who usually beats me in tennis and down the ski slopes...."

Mary and I have been best friends for ten years. She’s funny and a great cook (especially Lebanese food!) and will be someone who my child will always be able to count on for good advice. She says,

"Elizabeth is one of my best friends ever. She can't tell you this, but I can—she's one of the coolest people I know. She is my go-to person for what's going on in music, in fashion and style, in popular culture. She has one of the most important qualities I know for getting through life and that is, a great sense of humor. We laugh a lot. Life with her is fun, fun, fun!"

Jonathan and I lived on a boat together in Paris almost 20 years ago, and he is one of my dearest and smartest friends. He can’t wait to teach my child about classical music and the best stories in children’s literature. He says,

"I have known Elizabeth for nineteen years; in describing her, the following adjectives come instantly to mind: compassionate, courageous, fearless, inspiring, loyal, generous, and joyous. In other words, she is a truly human-hearted person and a great person to have as a friend."

In conclusion,
Now that you know a little bit about me, I hope I can learn more about you. I pray that you will experience all the joy, hope and possibility in your own life that you are giving to your child—and to your child’s new family—by making your decision. Thank you for taking time to read my letter, and I wish you every blessing.

If you have any questions for us, or would like to talk to us about adopting your child, please contact an AdoptHelp advisor by Calling 1-800-637-7999 or clicking the "Contact Us" button below.

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