When we think of Sandra Bullock, we think of a talented actress; yet it’s not her role as a Hollywood superstar that she thinks defines her. Instead, her role of a lifetime is that of “mom” to kids Louis, 8, and Laila, 5.
In an emotional interview with the Today Show’s Hoda Kotb, Sandra discussed how fate lead her to motherhood in the most extraordinary ways. Now, she says being a mother is not just her top priority, but her very purpose in life.
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Sandra was already in her early forties when she decided to look for the child she felt was out there waiting for her. She says it was Hurricane Katrina, which caused massive destruction and loss of life in New Orleans in 2005 that inspired her to begin the adoption process in earnest. She’d considered it for years, but something inside her clicked as she watched reports of the devastation.
“Something told me that my child was there,” she said with tears in her eyes.
Today
Even after completing the extensive adoption paperwork process, it took years before she finally met her son. But when she did, Sandra knew instantly that he was meant for her.
“I looked at (Louis), and I just said, ‘Oh, there you are.’ It’s like he had always been there. It’s like he fit in the crook of my arm. He looked me in the eyes, and he was just – he was wise. My child was wise. The beautiful thing that I was constantly told was, ‘The perfect child will find you. You will find your child.'”
Hoda admitted that Sandra’s decision to become a mother later in life encouraged her own adoption journey. Hoda welcome her daughter, Haley Joy, in 2017.
Today
“It’s so funny, because without knowing it when you adopted Louis, a lot of people were looking at you,” Hoda said. “I remember, ’cause I was in Rio for the (Olympics) – I’m gonna cry … But I was in Rio, and I was trying to figure out, like, did I miss my window? Am I too late? Should I have … a bunch of woulda-coulda’s. And all the sudden, I Googled you.”
Saandra and Hoda each have tears in their eyes as they discuss how their lives have improved and expanded beyond their wildest dreams now that they’re sharing their hearts with their children.
“I finally realize, ‘Oh, this is what I was supposed to do when I grew up,” Sandra told Hoda. “Not be an actress; to be a mom. … This is my purpose.”
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Hoda was personally inspired by Sandra’s adoption story and knows others must have been, too.
“I thought, you don’t even know who you inspired. You know because I told you, but how many other people looked up and saw you?” Hoda asked.
Today
“There are hundreds of thousands of children that are ready to be your child,” Sandra said tearfully. “You’re a forever parent the minute you accept the love of that child. And it’s amazing to me how we can take away people’s happiness by telling them that this is the box that you have to stay in. There is no box.”
Now a mother of two, Sandra says she doesn’t work very much these days because she can’t bear to be apart from her growing family. She knows her mother, who passed away, would be so happy to see Sandra parenting her own children. She feels confident that she’s on the right path in her life, possibly for the first time ever.
Today
Her only priority now that she’s in her fifties is raising her kids. Everything else comes second, including her high-powered acting career.
“Everything is about them being ok, being in school, having what they need, their moments. I need to be there for every single moment that they have. It’s harder for me to leave them than I think it is for them when I leave. I don’t leave that much, and I don’t work that much anymore either. … So my priorities are my kids, my kids, my kids. My family. My family. That’s it.”
Sandra’s adoption story is so powerful, and the love and devotion she shows for her children should serve as an inspiration for us all.
Watch a clip of the emotional intbelow, and be sure to share with others who are considering expanding their families through adoption.
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