Chris

Dear Birth Parent,

Hello! I’m Chris from Texas!

Thank you for taking the time to consider adoption and get to know me a bit better. I have so much respect for the brave and loving decision you are making. I hope in these few pages, you’ll get an idea about my life, my passions and why I’d love to be a father to your child.

I grew up in a small town in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I was the youngest of three, with an older brother and sister. I have strong connections back to my hometown, and love visiting my family whenever I get a chance. I’ve finally reached a point in my life where I’m ready to raise a family and share with them amazing adventures and beautiful memories.

Shortly after I was born, my mom decided to raise us as a single parent. Her choice, and the sacrifices she made to provide us with everything she could, have been a constant source of inspiration and admiration to me my whole life.

None of this would have been possible without the support of my family. And leading the charge the entire way was my fearless mother. The way she raised me, and all the things she’s taught me have given me the confidence to be a single parent myself. I firmly believe in the strength and happiness derived from the bond between people, and that’s why my biggest desire is to build an incredible family of my own.

1. I’m a huge believer in building strong, lasting friendships. As I’ve grown up, I still keep in contact with many of my classmates, old friends, and even former coworkers. There’s nothing more fun that brightening someone’s day with a random “thinking of you” text, or surprising them with a decorated desk on their birthday. (Balloons, confetti, the whole nine yards!)

2. I enjoy making others laugh, even if it’s at my own expense. Every year I go all-out to win my company’s lip sync contest. My send-up of the Genie from Aladdin (complete with the beard and fake abs) earned me first place! (And my friends will all agree — you ain’t never had a friend like me!)

3. I’m driven by setting goals and challenges and then working tirelessly to accomplish them. Going to college was incredibly important to me, but my mom couldn’t financially support the cost. I applied for scholarships and loans, and worked full time while going to school. Today I’m debt free.

4. I love making even the most everyday experiences fun, like going to Target and helping my best friend decide on exactly the right type of toilet paper. (There are more options than you think!)

5. I enjoy teaching and helping others. I’m like Mrs. Frizzle, but without the magic school bus. I learned early on that it’s not about who’s the smartest. The best thing you can do is share your knowledge with others, and both grow from the experiences you have.

6. One of my favorite ways to relax or take my mind off the world is to sing. Though admittedly, I’m not very good at it. I may be one of the only people who secretly loves karaoke. But don’t tell anybody.

7. By day, I’m a user experience designer. The simplest way to describe what I do is to say that I am a problem solver. My professional care is all about understanding people, how they use technology and interact with each other. With that knowledge, I create websites, apps, and different cool experiences to help them solve their problems.

8. By night, I’m a stargazer. (See what I did there?) As a kid, I loved staring into the night sky, both inspired and humbled by knowing we were just a tiny plane tin a sea of galaxies. I can’t wait to drive out to the country with my future child, spread out a blanket, and watch their reaction when he takes his first peek through our telescope.

9. When it comes to doing stuff around the house, I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty. You could say I’m all for the DIY (Do It Yourself) lifestyle. Painting? Plumbing? Planting? Simple! This year, I even helped build a house through our local Habit for Humanity organization.

10. Finally, I believe that learning never stops. One of the core ideas of my life is my philosophy of always learning. My curiosity is the most significant motivator in my life, and I can’t wait to inspire my future children with it as well.

Family and friends are incredibly important to me. Everything that I am, I am because of them. I also strive to put my relationships first, in everything that I do.

As I grew up, I got to watch my nieces and nephews grow up as well. Of course, I spoiled them rotten. Who wouldn’t? I was known as “the smart uncle” who was always there to help them with their science fair projects or explain complex concepts in algebra and geometry. Even at a young age, it was inspiring to see them draw connections as they learned new things, just as I had done years before.

Spending time together as a family is something we hold very close to our hearts.

Every major holiday, we all come together and share a huge meal and spend time with each other. At Christmas, it’s no surprise to see my sister’s family, my brother’s, several cousins and their families, and an equal number of friends and their own families joining together for delicious food and excellent stories and laughs.

As my nieces and nephews are starting high school and college, I’ve realized now is the time to start my own family. I wish you could have seen the joy in my mom’s eyes when she excitedly realized that we could celebrate Christmas the way we did when I was younger, with tons of gifts and the opportunity to spoil a new grandkid.

For over twenty years, I’ve been an uncle to four wonderful nephews and two beautiful nieces. Though they’re excited about having a new cousin, they’re also excited for me to become a dad. But you don’t have to take my word for it — here’s some quotes from some of them.

“My uncle Chris always makes me laugh. Even when I’m having a bad day. And his hugs are the best. He’s definitely the smartest one in our family. I love him so much, and really want him to become a dad!” – Bretney, Age 16

“Chris is hands down one of the best uncles I could ever ask for. He’s always been a role model, and taught me a lot about how to treat others with respect, and help them achieve their goals. He’s also wicked smart. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have passed Calculus. I’m pretty pumped that he wants to be a dad. I know he’ll be a great one!” – Tyler, Age 17

“Uncle Chris has always been there for me. When my mom went through her divorce, he was by her side to help support her. Usually that meant helping pick me up after school and taking me to my soccer games. He’s definitely the kind of dad I wish I had. He does tell corny jokes, but we still love him.” – London, Age 11

“Whoa. You want to be a dad? Whoa. Well that’s pretty cool. I think you’ll be awesome. Does that mean I’ll get less presents at Christmas?” – Ben, Age 13

Storytelling — Growing up, my family always shared a love for stories. Whether it was hearing a fairy tale while being tucked in at night, or gathering around to watch the latest episode of a favorite TV show (usually Star Trek), I grew up with an appreciation of the power of stories.

One of the things about becoming a father that I look forward to the most is a chance to put my future child to bed every night with a story.

Movies & TV — I have a quirk that if I watch the first episode of any TV series, I’ll instantly become hooked, wanting to explore the characters and their world further. Last year, I started a film watching group with some close friends.

Once a month, I host them at my house where we watch a classic movie from the American Film Institute’s Top 100 Films. We’ve only watched a handful so far, but each one is memorable for an exciting story or its impact on history or our culture.

Food — I’m quite the connoisseur of Texas’ own flavor — Mexican food that we affectionally call “texmex”. Its incredible how you can make such wildly different dishes with the same basic ingredients. I can cook some delicious enchiladas!

Science Fiction — I am a total science fiction nerd. The incredible stories and characters are such an inspiration for a creative imagination. Sci-fi is important to me because it is just enough different from today’s world to give you the freedom to discuss complex issues and tackle problems we face today. Star Trek is definitely my favorite sci-fi series of all.

Adulting — I never really thought this was something I’d call “a passion,” but so many of my friends continue to tell me how good I am at adulting — or just being an adult. I find joy in the basic things, like doing laundry, or filing my taxes, or cleaning my house. My all time favorite thing? Organizing. Crazy, I know.

Creative — I’m also a very creative individual, and that shows in a lot of different ways. Whether it’s designing a mobile application, or even just building with LEGOs, I enjoy sitting down and creating things. It’s very rewarding to imagine something in your head, like this book you’re reading, and then sit down, design it, and bring it to life. I may be looking forward to play time just as much as my future child will.

I promise…

• That your child will always be loved and supported
• That I will provide a stable, safe and financial secure home
• To teach your child how to shake every gift under the Christmas tree
• To make corny dad jokes frequently
• That I will be a good role model toy our child, always striving to set the best example possible
• That I will ignite your child’s imagination, and encourage and give him opportunities to explore and discover the beauty of the world around him
• That your child comes first, before anything else
• To teach your child that you’re never too old to enjoy cartoons
• To get messy, building pillow first and sandcastles, or jumping in the leaves and singing in the rain
• To give your child boundaries, so they feel safe and secure, but also have the space and freedom they need to grow
• To check for monsters under the bed
• That your child will always know how much love when into their adoption and the incredibly courageous and selfless decision that you chose for them

My Final Thoughts

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and considering me to
be the father to your child. you’re an incredibly brave individual, and I admire your courage to help your child have the best possible future.

This is an exciting journey and I’m truly thrilled to begin the next chapter of my life. my final promise to you is to be the best possible dad that I can be.