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other parents with no reliable information on where to begin, how to adopt, or that there even is a light at the end of the long and seemingly dark tunnel. “I have met people whose heart aches to be parents, who don’t know the ways to adopt. Studies have shown worldwide there are as many prospective parents as adoptable children. But some think they don’t have the financial means to adopt. Countless prospective parents are waiting to be “matched.” I was once in that position,” she said. Able to relate to them, Vardalos shares the many, many ways to become a parent. “Some methods are expensive and time-consuming, some can lead to heart-break. Some work for many. Some don’t. And some are amazingly simple and accessible to everyone. One way MORE FROM
MINI Click here to purchase your copy of Instant Mom!
worked for me.” That’s all it took. One method, of many, to create an Instant Mom. Just one phone call and 14 hours’ notice to end her 10 year struggle with fertility and lead her to the then-preschooler that would soon become her daughter. The story is both funny and fascinating, helpful and informative, full of the trials and tribulations that many parents experience. Her goal, even mentioned in the book’s prologue, was to create a “how to adopt” book of sorts, while still retaining her daughter’s privacy. Much like her journey, Vardalos’ book presents a labor of love from the very beginning to the fulfilling end: “I wait for my daughter to come home from school. I ask for her permission to write a book about her. She cocks her head, smiles, and says okay. Then she wryly offers a few pointers on which stories should be in the book.” She’s now a mom, a spokesperson for adoption, and a beacon of hope for many parents hoping to achieve the same end result— a family. And while there is no right way to create one, the recipe is the same for each: just add love. ■ See the link on the left to purchase your own copy of Nia Vardalos’ Instant Mom.
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