Dear Expectant Mother,
Thank you for reading our letter--we appreciate you taking the time to hear our story. We have great respect for the choice you are making in placing your child through open adoption. Our names are Rick, Yayoi and Molie. Molie's real name is Hanae Cricket but she likes to go by 'Molie.' We are a bi-racial family living in San Francisco and we think of our ourselves as a blended family.
About Us
Rick and Yayoi met eight years ago and became each other's best friends. Yayoi was an injured dancer and Rick had started a free dancers' injury center. Despite our vastly different professions, we discovered we shared the same values and world view. We married in 2006 on Halloween because it is our favorite holiday. Molie was born to us on April 11, 2007. She is really looking forward to having a baby sibling and wants to be a "good big sister." Yayoi is creating a book to guide Molie through the introduction of a new sibling through adoption, starting with "mommy and daddy falling in love," then introducing all our "family members": our cockapoo Ringo, then Molie, and finally her new baby sibling and his/her birthmother. Rick and Yayoi hope that this "family story" will give both children a sense of the great abundance in our lives created by our blended family.
About Yayoi
Yayoi was born in Tokyo, Japan, but grew up in Surrey, England and Marin County, California. Her father is a global businessman and her mother a Japanese language professor, which gave her the opportunity to grow up in several cultures. Yayoi is a professional dancer and educator. She has an academic degree in East Asian Studies and a Fine Arts degree in Dance. Her career began as a public elementary arts administrator and teacher. Working with kids from blended homes, foster children and adoptive children, Yayoi knew then that she would embrace being an adoptive mother and felt a philosophical alignment with open adoptions. She is also a senior company member of ODC/Dance of San Francisco and performs nationally and internationally. As a supporter of the arts, Yayoi also sits on the board of NEXMAP, a San Francisco-based non-profit committed to contemporary and experimental performance and art.
Yayoi enjoys trips to the farmers market and making family dinners with seasonal and local produce. She actually hates to admit it, but she subscribes to Martha Stewart Living, trying out crafts and recipes with friends. Last year Yayoi made monogrammed bags with cookies inside for friends and family during the Holiday Season.
About Richard
Richard was born in the "Steel Country" of western Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh, where he was raised with his two sisters. His parents currently live in Fort Worth, Texas, where they are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary this year. Aside from a lifelong addiction to the Pittsburgh Steelers, his sports career quickly changed to the medical profession and he has been an Orthopedic Surgeon in San Francisco for the last 23 years. He is Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at UCSF, but has been practicing at San Francisco General for the last 17 years. He has also volunteered his services throughout the Developing World; after getting a Master's degree at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, he was the founder and director of the Institute for Global Orthopedics and Traumatology. He is on the board and also Chair Person emeritus of Orthopedics Overseas. He was also named the Humanitarian of the Year in 2006 by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, an award given to one surgeon worldwide annually for care of disadvantaged populations both at home and abroad. Rick is a patient and ever-playful father. With an established career, he is able to take extensive time for his family as needed. He has the freedom to take time off when kids are sick if Yayoi can't be there. A runner and long time athlete, he ran "Bay to Breakers," a race across the city of San Francisco, and started a walking club at the Orthopedic Institute at lunch hour. He also enjoys paddling in Hawaii with friends.
About Molie
Molie has had an exciting first four years. Whether backstage with ODC/Dance Company in a festival in Chambery, France, or sharing the stage as "troupe mascot" during rehearsals, Molie has access to a special world and an intimate relationship with the Arts. Last year the whole family took a month long trip to South East Asia on a cultural diplomacy tour with ODC sponsored by the State Department. In contrast, she has had the opportunity to make "hospital rounds" on Saturday mornings with her orthopedic surgeon father. As a family we are truly fortunate to have two distinct pursuits, but our worlds overlap with professionalism, performance, and passion. Molie is thoughtful and sensitive, but loves to giggle and laugh. She can be the fun-filled center of attention, or just as comfortably be quiet, determined, and studious. Molie will be starting preschool at the French American International School, a French emersion school in the fall.
Our Home and Family
While we loved working abroad, we also love being at home in San Francisco. Typically, Rick and Yayoi wake up early to have coffee and talk before Molie wakes up. While Rick heads off to work Yayoi has time to eat breakfast with Molie and share morning activities with her including walking our little cockapoo dog "Ringo." Yayoi is fortunate to only work 40 weeks a year, 25-30 hours per week, giving her the opportunity to spend quality time at home and volunteer time at school. On the weekends, we make a ritual trip to the Farmers' Market as our family loves to eat, and Yayoi loves to cook. Grandparents are a regular part of our family life since Yayoi's parents live close by. We have an extremely supportive community and have many aunts and uncles who truly participate in our lives whether it's sharing a meal, coming over to play puzzles, or going to the ballpark to watch a Giants game. We also are members of the Academy of Sciences, Zoo and local museums and frequent them often. We are lucky enough to have family homes in Hawaii, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and Colorado, and frequently travel to these "homes away from home" for vacations, among a variety of other places we love to travel.
While we are globally aware, we are very connected to our various local communities. Being part of a vibrant community in San Francisco and being personally invested in the things we care most about have been great rewards in our life. We hope that we can share this same philosophy and commitment with our children. We feel fortunate to be able to give our children the opportunity to pursue and appreciate any passion they choose, as we believe this will allow them to be full citizens of their world.
Last November, we discovered that Rick's father George had another family unknown to Rick and his sisters 40 years ago. This shocking news made us realize the importance of openness and communication. These three children, adults now, deeply desired to know who their biological father was. This experience has been part of our motivation for wanting an open adoption.
Thank you so much for reading our letter.
We wish you all the best.
Sincerely,
Rick, Yayoi and Molie
Thank you so much for reading our letter. We wish you all the best. Please feel free to contact us at 1-855-522-1122 or email us at yoibee@me.com to learn more about us. You can also call our friendly adoption attorney, Susan Romer, at 1-800-U-ADOPT-US (1-800-823-6788), or email her at adamsromer@aol.com. Her website is www.1-800-U-ADOPT-US.com.
