​Hi there and welcome. Come have a cup of tea with me in Blogville!
My name is Lynn, though I started off as Yvonne Marie, then just Marie, and then finally, Lynn. I grew up in Cochrane, Ontario with the surname of Etmanski, and I thought it was so hard to say and spell. I swore I would marry someone with the surname of Smith, or Jones; easy to say and spell. As fate would have it, I met and married a man with the last name of Deiulis (pronounced Dee-You-Liss for those of you that I will be lucky enough to meet one day, or for the terrified presenter who might have to introduce me at a future event.) Keep an eye out for a blog about what’s in a name. We shall talk then.
 
I am an adult adopted person. I am also a retired adoption worker. When I retired in 2020, I wrote a book called What is Your Story? Let’s talk about adoption and kinship. I wrote the book to help children and families talk about adoption, kinship, and alternative care. It is a discussion starter and really a journey, rather than a story. It is a therapeutic tool adoption workers and children’s mental health workers can use to help children understand their story of how they arrived into the family that is parenting them.
 
My book, What Is Your Story? Let’s talk about adoption and kinship, is intended as a tool to help adults speak with children about their experiences and to help them find answers to their questions.
 
My blog, is intended as a vehicle to share some of my stories and to prompt thought about each of your stories. You all have a story whether or not you are currently being, or were adopted; are living/parenting in a kinship home or alternative care home; are thinking of, or have already adopted; and/or if you are a birth parent of a child or children that you are not actively parenting. You may be working in the adoption field or in children’s mental health. Even if you are not living or working in any of these scenarios, you know someone who is. Many of the thoughts presented in this blog may even be relatable to step-parents. Some of you will relate to this blog, others may be confused by it, but it is simply a forum for my humble opinions and thoughts based on my life experience as an adopted person, and my career working with children, youth and families.
 
In my blog there will be some laughter, some sarcasm and wit, some discomfort, some insight, some understanding, and perhaps even some cautionary tales.
 
 Of note, perhaps even as a warning, is the fact that I have been described as a very creative person and as such, often my thoughts are more random than organized. I apologize in advance 😊