42 episodes

For Adoptees & Adoptive Parents. We share stories, insights, and conversations about adoption.

Instagram: @unearthingadoption

Unearthing Adoption: Normalizing Positive Perspectives Glenna Boggs and Lauren Fishbein

    • Education
    • 5.0 • 2 Ratings

For Adoptees & Adoptive Parents. We share stories, insights, and conversations about adoption.

Instagram: @unearthingadoption

    Episode 43 - Eileen Skahill

    Episode 43 - Eileen Skahill

    Lena (Eileen) Skahill is an adjunct professor of Sociology at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She has been teaching courses in Adoption and Family Studies and Environmental Sociology which are available to students in the School of Social Work, Women’s and Ethnic Studies and The Humanities departments.  Lena is also adoptee (1966) and engaged in reunion with both of her first families. She has volunteered in varying capacities with adoption non-profits over the last decade and dedicated her academic career toward the pursuit of teaching and sharing the unique lived experiences of all members of the adoption constellation.

    Lena has conducted research in adoption studies over the course of her career. Her early research, On the Outside Looking In: Adoptee Perspectives on Reunion Relationships explored the evolution of long term reunions between adoptees and their first families with outcomes of the study shared at academic conferences across the country.  Her current qualitative/photo essay-based research study titled, Nurtured by Nature: Adoption and Foster Care Experiences and the Healing Power of Nature is meant to shine a light on the adoption and foster care journeys and the ways in which nature serves as a modality for healing, growth, and joy for all impacted by these lived experiences.  Research for the study has been completed and Lena anticipates data to be published in 2024.

    • 51 min
    Ep. 42 - Fitting In

    Ep. 42 - Fitting In

    Follow us on Instagram @unearthingadoption

    E-mail us: unearthingadoption@gmail.com

    • 26 min
    Ep. 41 - Paul Kimball, Author of "We Are All Human Beings."

    Ep. 41 - Paul Kimball, Author of "We Are All Human Beings."

    "Paul Kimball, a biracial adoptee, explores his own abandonment issues as he searches, and eventually reunites with his birth parents. After a seemingly joyous reunion, his birth mother, a Caucasian professional cellist, rejects him. This causes him to seek out his Armenian birth father, who along with his extended family, accepts him as one of their own. 

    Paul's birthparents met at the Hollywood Methodist Church in 1961. Vahe had immigrated from Iraq to California, while Wendy gave cello concerts throughout the United States. After Wendy became pregnant, they decided to have an abortion in Mexico, and upon arrival, changed their minds. As directed by her parents, Wendy had her baby in secret in Fort Bragg. Vahe was told that the baby had been aborted. 

    After one week with Wendy, Paul was given up for adoption. He was placed in foster care through Children's Home Society for four and a half months. Being biracial, Paul was considered a "Hard to Place" baby. The Kimballs, a wonderfully liberal Berkeley family, decided to adopt Paul. On Paul's first birthday, November 22nd, 1962, he was officially adopted three hours before the assassination of President Kennedy. 

    Paul became a professional French Horn player, conductor and music teacher. He had always been deeply moved by the cello, especially the recordings of Jacqueline Du Pre. Music was his life, and cello his therapy. 

    After marrying and becoming a father of two daughters, Paul searched for his birthmother. Upon learning that she was a cellist, he was even more determined to meet her. After several months and false leads, he found her name in the Musician's Union directory. This led to a three-hour phone call with birth mother, Wendy. 

    Paul and Wendy met in L.A. and had a beautiful three-month reunion. That summer, she went to New York to play in an orchestra. While there, she made the decision to keep Paul a secret. She was afraid of being thought of as a "slut." She stopped all communication. When the horrors of 911 happened, Paul left one last message on her phone. This led Wendy to contact his mother in law, and let her know that Paul must never contact her again.

    In shock, Paul decided to search for his birth father. With some clues provided by Wendy, including his last name, Paul tracked down Vahe through his brother Vasken. On Christmas day, Vasken announced to his extended family that Vahe had an unknown son, much to their astonishment. That evening, Paul called Vasken who handed the phone to Vahe. The first words that Vahe said to him were "Son, I love you!"

    For twelve years, Vahe, Paul and the extended Armenian community got to know and love each other. 

    Paul kept tabs on Wendy through her summer orchestra's website. One summer he noticed that she wasn't listed. He learned through a facebook message that Wendy had died a few years earlier. 

    Paul found her gravesite, but no marker, just grass. He decided to design one for her. When the marker was completed, he visited it alone, in tears, while listening to cello music. Paul's adopted parents, and Vahe passed away. His adopted father committed suicide three days after his mother passed while looking at her pictures. 

    Now that his parents were gone, Paul continued to contemplate his abandonment issues. The realization that we are all human beings, adopted or not, and that we are all a part of nature, has brought much comfort and healing."



    Buy Paul's book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Human-Beings/dp/1977236197



    Follow us on Instagram @unearthingadoption

    Send us an e-mail: unearthingadoption@gmail.com

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Episode 40 - First Episode of the New Year!

    Episode 40 - First Episode of the New Year!

    Happy 2024! On this episode of Unearthing Adoption, Lauren and Glenna discuss New Year's Resolutions and trends amongst adoptees. We are so thrilled to have you all join us in 2024. Lots of exciting things happening this year so stay tuned!



    Interested in being on the show? Know someone who is? E-mail us! UnearthingAdoption@gmail.com



    Find us on Instagram @unearthingadoption

    • 28 min
    Episode 39 - Let's Reflect...

    Episode 39 - Let's Reflect...

    Thank you all for such an amazing year. We can't wait for the next one!

    Letitia Smith from White Light Exposure: https://www.whitelightexposure.com/

    Our NEW e-mail: unearthingadoption@gmail.com

    Instagram @unearthingadoption

    • 23 min
    Episode 38 - When You See a Lonely Goose

    Episode 38 - When You See a Lonely Goose

    Follow us on Instagram! @unearthingadoption

    Adoption Unfiltered: https://adoptionunfiltered.com/

    • 29 min

Customer Reviews

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Wonderful content

As an adoptee who is just starting to come out of the fog, I found this podcast. It’s been eye opening and so validating. I really admire the hosts and am grateful for the content.

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