Let me tell you a story.
It’s tender and I have been dying to share it with you but I needed to wait for all the pieces to be ready for you.
Mid-October I was invited to a blogging event. While getting ready for the event, I had the thought, “You should invite Cammi to this shindig with you.” (Cammi is Baby Jackson’s birth mother.)
So I texted her and invited her letting her know that I didn’t really know what to expect, but, as always, it would just be fun to be together. She texted back that she wanted to go and we set up a dinner date with her, her sister, me, Kim and Leisha before the event.
We had a hilarious and delicious dinner and afterward made our way to a beautiful house in Salt Lake City where we were greeted by blogging friends and the stunning Katherine Nelson. (You may recognize her from LDS Church videos on Temple Square, Emma: My Story and 17 Miracles.)
This was a night to celebrate Katherine Nelson’s new album, Born Brave.
After mingling and having some treats, Katherine invited us into a cozy room where she performed for a group of about 30 of us. She has a different and beautiful voice and we were enjoying a light evening of her music. Or so I thought.
I was sitting next to Cammi and her sis and across the coffee table from us were Kim and Leisha when I heard Katherine say, “The next song I want to sing for you is about adoption.”
My heart drops.
I am pretty sensitive when it comes to adoption and the media. (I don’t watch ANY television shows with an adoption storyline. It makes me a nervous wreck.) Cammi and I look at each other with surprised wide eyes.
Katherine explains that she’s seen infertility, miscarriage and adoption up close in the lives of her beloved friends and family. She inserts, “I co-wrote this song with someone who has a very intimate knowledge of adoption from a different perspective.”
I had butterflies.
And then Katherine sang, What’s Mine Is Yours for us, not 5 feet from where we were sitting.
Those few minutes were in slow motion for me as everyone else in the room seemed to disappear. Kim, Leisha, Cammi, her sister and I shared a sacred moment born of our heartache and hope. It’s a feeling and love that still lingers with me.
I’ve listened to this song probably one million times since that night. My big boys know all the words. Every time I hear Katherine sing, “longing family” I am in tears again. It’s the best way to describe what our home felt like in 2012 as the hope of 2 different babies flickered out and bliss that is Jackson and his Cammi burned brightly. I don’t know how we are so blessed.
After Katherine finished performing that night, I turned to Cammi and said, “Let’s tell her our story.” We were kind of giddy and still pretty emotional as we described to Katherine how much her song meant to us.
I listened in awe, bawling, as I heard Cammi tell Katherine why she wanted me to be Jackson’s mom. Cammi cried. Katherine cried. I don’t think I will ever be the same after that night.
It was so powerful.
This January morning as I type this with one hand, I have Cammi’s baby in the other, that beloved little boy. I feel so strongly about the line, “what’s mine is yours.” This is the core of open adoption for me. Sharing. Two families brought together.
I hope you will join me celebrating the release of this music video today. Share it if it touches your heart. Post photos and stories of your “what’s mine is yours” interpretation and moments on Twitter and Instagram using the hash tag #mineisyours.
You can tag me (@therhouse) and Katherine (@knelson_music). We’d love to see and read your heart.
Such a powerful song for me. Enjoy.
Photography by the talented and generous Kim Orlandini.
Amazeballs. I can’t wait to see you!
Thank you!! I don’t understand infertility but I understand the miracle of adoption. What a day for you to post this. 2 years ago today I boarded a plane to meet my daughter for the first time. I am feeling such gratitude today for the selflessness these wonderful women have.
I am not on Twitter or Instagram, but I am going to share my pictures on my blog along with this video and link it up to Facebook. I don’t personally know the pain of infertility, but I am holding my nine week old adoption miracle in my arms as I type. I love his birth mother with all my heart. We share this beautiful boy.
LOVE IT! The song, your post, your story. Awesome-sauce!
could Cammi be any prettier…sheesh, she is a knock out.
loved the song, but the story was amazing.
What a great song with a wonderful sentiment… Will Cammi be having a new baby soon?
Beautiful song, beautiful story…even more beautiful women. xoxo
I am stunned at the beauty of this song and it’s message. It is so powerful! Thank you for sharing it and thank you to Katherine Nelson for expressing words through music that sometimes we just can not speak. Today, I wrote to my missionary son whom we adopted 19 1/2 years ago as a tiny baby boy that his birth mother is dying of cancer. My heart was so sad as I thought of him reading about that news. Yet, he took the news so well and is so full of faith. I love him so much!! I just happened to be checking the blogs I follow and saw this. My heart is so full of gratitude for my son’s birth mother and her unselfish sacrifice. We did not have an open adoption and I never thought I would meet our son’s birth mother. However, right before he left for his mission, he had the desire to find and meet her, and so we did. What an amazing experience that was. And now, I’m eternally grateful that he and I had in meeting her since he most likelywill not have the chance to see her again in this earthly life. “What’s mine is yours” means so many things to me right now: from birth mother to adoptive mother, from adoptive mother to birth mother, from Father to each of us, and from our family to the Father. I don’t have twitter, but I will share this on Facebook and my blog. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!
I found your blog somehow through Instagram. I’m crying right now reading this, because I understand the love and beauty of adoption. We adopted our daughter 4 yrs ago and thank the Lord everyday for the love he has for all involved in adoptions. Beautiful story and I’m so happy for you. Look forward to reading your blog.
I can’t even…I am seriously obsessed with this song. I have been listening and bawling all day to this video. It is just amazing, what a talent, what an amazing way to convey the heartbreak. Being someone who has experienced miscarriage and a birthmom placing their sweet baby in my arms, this touched me so much. Thank you so much for sharing it with us LIndsey and for writing this song Katherine. Part of my heart healed a little today, especially at the part where she sings “I’m letting go…” Just, amazing…
What an amazing night and beautiful story.
This is an absolutely gorgeous song. Her voice, the way that her words have a way of resonating through your whole body, the tears on her face. This is amazing. I think this will be a new favorite of mine. Although I don’t know about infertility or adoption, it still touched me. Thanks for sharing.
Oh. My. Word. I love this. It’s like she read my heart and put it to song. I want to pin this post, but I don’t know if Cammi is cool with having her picture pinned? Let me know. XOXO