Stephen

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From Me to You

I would like to start off by saying I cannot begin to understand what you are going through and I can never express how heroic and courageous I believe you are for choosing the path of adoption for your child. This cannot be an easy choice, but it is my sincere wish to let you know I am here to help make it a little easier.

How can I do that you may ask? Well by assuring you that if I am lucky and blessed enough to be chosen as the forever home for your child, that they will be loved beyond measure. Your child will be entering a home that is filled with love and laughter. One that values family and friends, togetherness and being thoughtful and kind. I will be their champion, an ear for all of their troubles, their friend, spiritual guide and their teacher. I will love them unconditionally.

I have always wanted to be a father, for as long as I can remember. Being around children has been such a huge part of my life; whether it’s babysitting my friends’ kids, moving to another state for over a month to care for my best friend’s newborn baby while he and his wife were training for a job, or babysitting for and spending time with my nieces and nephews. My desire for a child/to become a father has grown.

I want to be able to show your child the love that I was shown growing up. I was always close with my family and that is something that has not changed. My family is medium-large. I have four siblings; one biological brother and three step. I also have three nephews and two nieces, all who are very excited to meet your little one and have a new baby cousin to play with.

While some of us all live in different states, we make it a point to see each other many times a year, especially at Christmas when we are always all together. We all get along and have a deep bond/love that transcends distance. They all are excited to meet your baby and welcome them into our family.

I have friends who are as close as family to me, and their kids call me uncle. I enjoy spending time with them, and they are also excited for there to be a little one around to shower with love and to play with. We love to play board games together and have a tradition of going to Walt Disney World every 2-3 years. Something I cannot wait to share with your child.

In closure, from the depths of my heart, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this letter and for getting to know a small part of me. I know you have read or will read many profiles, but I believe you chose this one for a reason. I have a lot of love to share and would love to be able to share it with your child. Thank you for considering me.

Stephen

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Why I Am Choosing to Adopt

Growing up I have always wanted to be a father and have dreamed of having a family of my own, someone to share my beliefs and traditions and love with. I also believe in being able to give a loving, stable home to a child where they will want for nothing and grow up to be respectful, caring adults. I am financially and emotionally secure, with a large, close, loving family and have lots of love to share with your child. I can’t wait to be a dad.  I love spending time with my nieces and nephews and love the feeling of being able to teach them, treat them, love them and guide them through life. I am ready, willing and able to provide this love, and care, and teaching and support to a child.

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Notes from Loved Ones

I may be a single parent, but your child will be joining a whole family and community of supportive, loving, and trustworthy individuals. I have known many of my friends for decades and have had the privilege of being involved in their children’s lives as an honorary Uncle. Below, some of the people who know me the very best share wanted to share their thoughts with you on my journey to becoming a dad.

“Steve has been trustworthy and dependable with our children since they were babies. He is always intentional in coming to many of their sporting events or other events in their lives. He treats them as if they were his own nieces and nephews and they all have a great relationship with him as a result of his active presence in their lives. We know that Steve would take the responsibility of fathering and raising a child very seriously. ” – Ted & Minde (My best friends who I consider as my own brother and sister)

“When my son told me that he wanted to adopt, I can’t tell you how elated I was. Not only for him to become a father, but also for the child he would adapt to be blessed with such a caring and loving person for a dad, and I am elated for myself as a grandmother as well—what a joy it would be for everyone involved! Stephen is the confidant in our family, he is someone whose opinion is held in high esteem. He has every quality a child could want in a dad; he will always be there for his child, as he is and always has been there for our family and for his friends. Being a grandmother is the highlight of my life, and as long as I am here on this earth, I too will be there for my grandchildren. I anticipate this child’s arrival with an excited and open heart.” – Linda (My sweet mom, who can’t wait to be a grandma again)

“I have known Steve for nearly 30 years. In that time he has been a faithful and loyal friend; someone I can always count on. My husband and I have 4 children ranging in age from 10 to 17. Steve has always been a part of our children’s lives since the day they were born. Each of my children truly love and adore Steve. They trust him and also enjoy spending time with him. They look forward to the times when he comes to visit or when we go on vacation together. Since my children were young, we have included him on family vacations, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. My kids consider him a part of our family and my husband and I completely trust Steve with our children. I know that Steve would make an amazing father and any child would be lucky to have him as a dad. He is a very hardworking man, holding a steady job and living in a safe and family friendly community with great schools. Although Steve would be a single father, he has a very loving family and a strong group of friends supporting him every step of the way. Please consider Steve, his heart is ready to be filled with the love of a child and I know he will make an amazing Dad!!” – Alexa (Alexa, Ben, and their children are just like family to me)

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My Relationship with You

Depending on your comfort level, I would love to share stories and family traditions you hold dear with your child. I would also be happy to share pictures, letters, and updates with you, so you see how loved and cherished your child is. This isn’t just my story or your child’s story, but yours as well, and it is a story worth being told. No judgment, no fear, no embarrassment, just respect, love, and faith in doing the best thing for your child.

Family is something that is very important to me.  I am a believer that family are those you let into your life along with those who are blood-related, even if they cannot physically be around. Your child will always know how much I prayed for them and wished for the moment they became a part of my family and how loved they are, not only by myself but by you as well.  I will always be honest and forthcoming with your child on any question they have about their adoption story and about you.  I believe it is important for them to know where they come from, that love comes in many different forms and that your decision to choose adoption showed how much you love them. They will always know that you chose for us to become a family and that they were placed with love.

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About Me

My name is Stephen, but everyone calls me Steve or S.J., and I was born and raised in Ohio. While I spent some time living in Texas, I ultimately decided to move back to Ohio to be close to my family and friends. I am the type of person who is shy at first, so speaking about myself is not always the easiest thing for me. However, I wear my heart on my sleeve, what you see is what you get. I am very close with my loved ones; they are all extremely important to me and always will be. We ground and support each other in everything, with unconditional love. I cannot wait until the day when I can share that love and bond with a child; neither can my family and friends.

I like to live my life by treating others the way I want to be treated. This mindset is something instilled in me as a young child and something I wish to instill in my own child. There are two quotes that I try to live by, one from Maya Angelou, “When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed”, and one from Winston Churchill, “Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” These two quotes inspire me to always be a better person, but to also understand that you can learn from every experience, and that you continue to always grow.

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My Lifestyle

I am a self-styled nerd who not only loves Star Wars, everything Disney and Marvel, but who also loves nature and a good trip to Target. On weekends you will find me watching a church service online, hiking or taking long walks followed by a trip to Target and then home to cook a nice dinner and or bake. I like to curl up with a good book; reading is a passion of mine, or playing some old school video games. Super Mario anyone?!!? In the summer I am often found at the pool. These are all things I would love to be able to share with your child.

Being a full-time remote/work-from-home employee, I will be home with your child every day. My need for daycare or babysitters will be very few and far between. While I would like to enroll your child into daycare to make friends and have exposure to other children outside cousins and the children of my friends, this would be one or two days a week for a couple of hours, once he or she is old enough. If I ever have a need for a babysitter, I have trustworthy family and friends, all with kids, who would be happy to assist and provide care for your child. This will allow for stability and bonding time with family and friends.

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Education & Career

I have been blessed to achieve my educational goals in life with multiple degrees and to have a career that I love. I work hard, but that hard work also comes with rewards. I currently work for a large technology company as a Recruiting Operations Program Manager and have a lot of freedom in my day-to-day. My company is very family-friendly with a generous leave and work from home program. This includes paternity leave, which will allow me to be able to be home with the baby for the first four to five months, allowing plenty of bonding time. I currently work from home full time so once I return to work after paternity leave, my schedule will be very flexible to be with him or her. When they do not feel well, our leave program allows me to be off and taking care of them. This will allow me to be a very present parent. Your child will have amazing benefits, both healthcare-wise and socially.

These amazing benefits my employer offers will also allow me plenty of time off for fun. Whether it be the family beach trips or Walt Disney World with friends, or a nice three-day weekend visiting family and friends, there is always something fun to do.

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Home & Neighborhood

I recently moved into a brand-new condo (first owner) in a very family-friendly city in Northwest Ohio. My home is in a brand-new neighborhood that is very family oriented and is in one of the best-rated school districts in the area. After school and on weekends you will often find children riding bikes, playing ball, or walking with their parents. There are children and families of all ages. Everyone is friendly and outgoing.

My home is all on one level, spacious with lots of natural light and I like to think very cozy. My backyard opens into a field that is perfect for children to run and play in. I would love to add a playhouse and swing set or maybe a trampoline and kiddie pool one day. It is a great space to have a family BBQ, play tag, catch or any other fun yard and family games and just have a great time playing and bonding.

I am within a 5-minute drive of my best friend’s family, whom I go on vacations with yearly and his kids call me Uncle Steve and are very excited for the opportunity to play with their new cousin. I am also only a few houses away from my sister and two young nephews who keep asking when they will have a new cousin to play with.

Not only does my friend have a pool but there is a community pool in my city and lots of parks and play space (there is a metro park with lots of open space, trails, and play space within a very short drive or long walk). I feel blessed to have the opportunity to live in this city where there is so much for families and children to do and experience, including a top-rated zoo, children’s museum, science museum, and much more.

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Family, Friends, and Our Traditions

I can go on and on about my family and friends. We are very close and always have been. I have a close-knit group of friends that I consider family. We go on yearly vacations together and to Disney World every two years. Not only that but we have a yearly Halloween costume party and get together several times a month at minimum just to hang out. I make it a point to go to their kids (who all call me Uncle Steve) games and events and enjoy spending as much time with them as possible.

As for my family, I would call us a medium-large family as I have four siblings, two nieces, and four nephews. Being together is very important to us, whether it be just sitting around and playing board games or going on vacations to the beach. Any time we spend together is always a lot of fun. However, Christmas is always the best time. We are always all together, and we spend the entire day together, often from early morning until late in the evening. Every year we have a ton of food, snacks (we call it the all-day graze), and fun; whether it be a white elephant gift exchange or an ugly Christmas Sweater/hat contest. It isn’t just about the presents, but about the time spent together.

I cannot wait to be able to share all of these traditions, family, and friends, with a child. They are all excited for a new cousin, grandchild, and niece or nephew to love and spoil and bring into the family.

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My Faith

My Christian faith is very important to me and is a big part of my day-to-day life with family and friends. I still go to the same church I grew up in. They have a great program for children where they teach them about Christ and allow them to have fun, make friends, and study the bible. There are family outings, fun events, and a great family feel. The church is perfect as it is not too big, but also not too small.

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Racial & Cultural Diversity

In today’s world it is important to understand and to celebrate differences between us all, yet acknowledging that no one deserves to be treated differently because of them. Common decency and the right to every possible opportunity is something I believe everyone should be afforded. Working for a company who values diversity, living in a diverse community and having a diverse group of friends is important to me because we can always be constantly learning from one another, and by doing so, helping to teach others that it is ok to be different, that it is a good thing that we are all not the same. Could you imagine how boring the world would be if we were all the same? I value this in my life because it helps make me a better, more understanding, more compassionate person.

I also believe that having a diverse circle will help with the adoption process. While I may never fully understand the plight of someone else, I will always make it a priority to make sure your child has all the resources they need and an understanding of where they came from. I want them to know they can embrace their culture and heritage and be proud of where they come from.

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What I Will Teach

I believe that teaching a child is something that never stops. It is most important to me that I teach your child the importance of family and friends. That being a good person is one of the most important things there is. I want to teach them how to be kind to others, love everyone, and to treat everyone with respect. I will teach them self-respect, and self-care. I will instill in them the importance of being a hard worker, but also knowing when to take a break and relax. I will also teach them the value of a dollar and how to save, but that it is also okay to treat yourselves or others too. I will also teach them that sometimes the world can be a hard place, but that they can persevere. I will teach them to use the lessons they learn to become better and to help others who are going through their own hard times. Being genuine to themselves and others will also be one of the lessons I will instill in them.

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Family Vacations

Family vacations are important to me. Whether it be a trip to visit my nieces and nephews for a long weekend, A trip to a state park, or to a house by the beach, I make it a point to go somewhere at least twice a year to relax and have a little bit of fun. This is excellent bonding time.

On top of that, every 2 years I go to Walt Disney World in Orlando with a group of very close friends. The group that goes is made up of myself and my two best friends and their families (5 adults and 7 children). They are more like family to me and their kids call me Uncle Steve. Our most recent yearly trips included a week at Orlando Universal Studios one year, then Disney World for 10 days the next. We stayed in the Animal Kingdom resort where you can see savannah animals from the balcony of your room. We split our time between the four parks, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Our trip is always a blast as we see shows, such as Finding Nemo, ride rides, eat all the snacks, and partake in interactive shows such as Belle’s Storybook where the audience gets to play parts in the story of Beauty and the Beast. On this last trip, we also took a couple of days and went to Harry Potter and Universal Studios Theme parks. This is a tradition that I very much look forward to sharing with your child.

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My Promise to You

My promise to you is that I will forever and always love and cherish your baby. I understand this is not an easy choice for you, but I can promise you that I will ease the burden of that choice as much as I can by assuring you that your child will be loved, cared for and given the best opportunities and life that I can possibly provide. I also promise you they will know where they come from, how to celebrate differences and how to be good, kind, caring and respectful children and adults. They will be surrounded by people who will love them and want nothing for the best for them.