I happened to be channel surfing tonight, and not one, but three different shows had adoption as the theme. One in particular caught my eye:

Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC fame, just received an Emmy last week for his VH1 “Rock Doc” Documentary, “My Adoption Journey.” If you do plan to watch the show, please be aware this post contains “spoilers” (plot information).

At the age of 35, Mr. McDaniels discovered he was adopted. The documentary shows the various stages he went through in absorbing this life-changing news. We see him in private therapy, in group meetings with other adoptees, and with a woman specializing in adoption therapy.

We see Darryl dealing with the feelings his adoptive family had regarding his desire to search for his birth mother (his terminology). We see the reactions of his wife and son. The documentary also shows the role of support people such as an adoption search specialist, hospital administrators and others.

Being that this is a Christian blog, I can’t recommend the show due to some of the language (and even my TV Guardian didn’t filter all of it out!), so if you do catch the program, be warned. However, what I did appreciate about the hour was Darryl’s world view that everyone had a role in his adoption, and he held no animosity toward either his birth or adoptive parents. In fact, in my favorite line from the show, he says that his birth and adoptive mothers functioned as, “one entity of motherhood and love.” He clearly saw that what his birth mother did for him was most definitely a sacrificial act of love and that he was the better for it. But he also honored his adoptive mother in stating that her rearing of him helped him to become who he is.

The show closes with text updates on the screen about his reunion with his birth siblings. Additionally, Mr. McDaniels is dedicating efforts toward those in the triad, as he doesn't believe the story ends at the close of the hour.

The other surprise of the night came when one of his musical inspirations, Sarah McLachlan, joined him in the studio to record, and revealed that she, too, was adopted.

All in all, it was an inspirational hour in that Darryl showed that, yes, there are struggles adoptees will always encounter as they strive to blend the various “parts” of the fabric of their lives; however, people are resilient and, with the proper support, can do the self-work required to make the adjustment in world view that adoption creates.

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