My name Is Zola and it is so nice to meet you. I hope that by reading my book, you will have a chance to get to know the real me and how much I would love to give your child a happy, laughter and love-filled home.
I really respect and admire your strength as you make what is sure to be a really tough decision. Please know that no matter what, you have my support and I am here to answer any questions you might have for me.
With Love,
Zola
For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a mom. I grew up in a family filled with a lot of love and it just felt natural to me to want to pass that on to my child one day. Of course, I thought I would meet Mr. Right but when that didn't happen, I started to rethink how I could make my dreams a reality and adoption to me, is the perfect fit.
Starting my adoption journey is not something I have taken lightly. I have really thought long and hard about the process and what I keep coming back to is what an honor it would be to be chosen by you to raise your baby.
I am lucky to have a large extended family. My sister and I have stayed close with our many cousins and as we have gotten older, many of them are now parents. I am not only Auntie to all of their kids (34 and counting!!), but I am also a godmother to four of them. I have done it all with them - I have been the one to change their diapers and stay up late nursing them through a cold and also had a chance to be the cool aunt who takes them bowling, plays arcade games, teaches them how to cook and takes them on international trips. Spending so much time with my nieces and nephews has reinforced how much I want to parent a child, through the good and the bad times.
Even though I plan to raise your child as a single parent I have a large support network of family and friends who will be there helping. I already have friends offering to knit baby clothes as well as a nieces and nephews who cannot wait to add a baby cousin to the family. Your child will have an endless supply of cousins to play with, grandparents who cannot wait to spoil him or her and a whole family to be loved by.
I can promise you in my care, your child will always know that they are surrounded by unconditional love. They will be raised knowing their adoption story, their heritage and to be proud of that history. I will provide every opportunity for your child to grow into a strong, smart, independent and kind person who will be free to follow their dreams in life.
About Me
So, let me tell you a bit about me! I am a first-generation American - I was born in Antigua (a small island in the Caribbean) and when I was four years old, my parents immigrated and moved our family to New York. I grew up with my parents and my sister but also have a very large extended family. My mom has eight siblings, and seven of them have kids! And on my dad's side of the family, he has seven siblings! Needless to say, growing up we spent many weekends with my cousins (quite a few of us are pretty close in age). We used to hang out playing cards or board games, running around outside, hanging out in the kitchen with all of our aunts, taste-testing their cooking or listening to my dad tell funny (and humiliating!) stories about all of his siblings.
So, in getting to know me, here are a few fun facts:
1. I am a huge reader, preferably fantasy or science fiction to be exact but on a rainy, Saturday afternoon I will read just about anything that has a good plot.
2. I love to dance. At any family get together, wedding, birthday, salsa party, etc., I will be that person on the dance floor thoroughly enjoying herself and starting dance battles!
3. I love all things water-related. In fact, I moved to Florida so that I could enjoy the beach 300+ days a year. I am on a competitive dragon boat team (I actually almost made the US team) and was also on an outrigger canoe team.
4. I am actively involved in my community. Over the last few years, I have volunteered my time at Habitat for Humanity helping build homes for families and I also help at the food pantry for Feeding South Florida where I sort donated food that goes to local soup kitchens.
My Home
I have lived in Florida for over nine years. My neighborhood is made up of homes ranging from historic to ultra-modern. It is very kid-friendly with two large parks, jogging trails, dog parks, tennis courts, playing fields and an area to kayak and stand up paddleboard. During the summers, there is "Movies and Music" in the park on Friday nights. We have a top-ranked Montessori school that provides many extracurricular opportunities in sports and the arts. Within walking distance, I am lucky to have some really great local shops and restaurants and of course, the beach which is less than two miles away!
My home is a three-story townhouse and it already has an area for a nursery and playroom. My nieces and nephews love to hang out here as there are large comfortable chairs scattered throughout the living room to lie on, as well as a large outdoor terrace they run around on.
Christmas has always been a very special time for my family. Yearly, my sister and I travel to Antigua to spend the holiday with our parents and meet up with other relatives living there as well. I usually try to get to my parents' house at least a few days before Christmas so I can help put up the Christmas tree and get the house ready for the season. My sister normally arrives a day or two later and helps begin prepping for my mom's annual Boxing day feast. Throughout the time we are home we visit many relatives and friends and also attend Christmas parties and of course, cook up a storm!
Over the years, I have had a chance to travel for both work and pleasure around the world.
According to my parents, I was almost born on a plane, so I got the traveling bug fairly early on. I have lived in Australia and England and traveled extensively through Asia, Europe, North and South America. As a consultant, I have a lot of flexibility regarding my physical location and am excited to explore the world and share these experiences with your child.
Some of the places I have visited include Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, China, Singapore, India, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, England, Scotland, France, Switzerland, Italy, Morocco, Egypt, Greece, Amsterdam, Turkey, Germany and Spain!
By now you know that I come from a pretty big and close knit family. I am the oldest of two girls and I am seven years older than my baby sister; so I spent quite a bit of my teenage years babysitting and playing "mini mom" to her.
My parents never quite got the whole idea of retirement and instead have stayed very active, moving on to what I call second careers since moving back to Antigua a few years ago.
My mom used to work in IT and now has set up her own farm and grows a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables which she sells to restaurants and hotels, (I'd like to believe I get my green thumb from her). My dad used to manage a large IT manufacturing site but now is a part time University professor and fixes and manages residential properties. I must say, they really set a perfect example for me when it comes to family and unconditional love.
My sister is a corporate lawyer and when she found out she was pregnant with my nephew, she moved down to Florida and now lives across the street from me. On any given day, you will find us in and out of each other's homes and make sure to sit down for dinner together at least once a week. Even though my parents have a home in Antigua they plan on splitting their time between there and Florida so they can spend quality time with their grandkids.
Everyone in my life is so supportive and excited about me building my family through adoption. I know that your child will grow up with so much love and positive influence and I consider myself very lucky to have this village!
Thank you for taking the time to learn a little about me, my life and my family. I cannot imagine how difficult this decision is but I hope that by reading my book, you know how committed I am to raising your child and being the best parent, I can be. I hope we have a chance to connect and want you to feel comfortable and settled with your decision. I wish you the best as you navigate through this adoption journey.