Chronicle 2018

By Katharine Brickman 2007

I n 2009, Kristina was in her late thirties, single and had just been named an equity partner at her Toronto tax law firm. While she enjoyed the successful legal career which she’d built for herself, Kristina felt that something was missing. A dual Canadian-Latvian citizen and fluent Latvian speaker, Kristina decided that she wanted to explore her maternal heritage. She took a leave of absence from her firm and booked a flight to Riga, Latvia. Kristina quickly became involved in the community, connecting with her extended family and networking with new people. After a couple of months and some deep self- reflection, Kristina realized that she wanted to start a family and began to research the local adoption process in Riga. She felt that adopting a child from Latvia would be particularly meaningful, as she would share her child’s heritage. Back in Toronto, Kristina advised her law firm of her plans, knowing that once she commenced the adoption process, she would have to fly back and forth between Toronto and Riga. The firm agreed to flexible work arrangements, so Kristina rented an apartment in Riga and settled into her new remote-working lifestyle. In April 2010, Kristina submitted her initial adoption paperwork. In November 2010, she was formally approved to adopt a child and was asked to provide details about her desired adoption. Kristina told the agency that gender didn’t matter; she was open to a fairly broad age range and was willing to adopt two children. The adoption agency began to e-mail Kristina about prospective adoptive children with whom she could meet. It was difficult to co-ordinate the meetings while she was still flying back and forth, so Kristina decided to stay in Riga for the remainder of the adoption process. In February 2011, Kristina was contacted about two children who were biological half-brothers – Maksims (Max), then two-and-a-half years old and Arturs (Archie), then six months old. Both were living in an orphanage in Riga. Kristina was nervous before the meetings, not sure

what to expect. She had been advised not to bring any toys because the children had no concept of having anything of their own. Kristina felt a connection with both boys during their separate meetings, and returned to the orphanage to spend time with them every day that week. The adoption process stipulated that once you met with a child, you had seven to 10 days to decide whether you wanted to proceed with their adoption. Kristina wanted to adopt both Max and Archie, and the adoption agency began to process the requisite paperwork. On the day that Kristina was able to take Max home, she brought a teddy bear and put it in the back seat of the car. He was waiting for her at the front door of the orphanage when she arrived, and they walked to her car together. When Kristina opened the back door, Max’s face lit up at the sight of the teddy bear and he said, “That’s for me?” It was the first toy he had ever been able to call his own. A few days later, Kristina returned to the orphanage to pick up Archie and begin life with her expanded family. The boys’ transitions were relatively smooth. The family spent the summer in Riga while awaiting the final round of paperwork approvals which would allow the boys to immigrate to Canada. On November 11, 2011, Kristina flew home with her sons. Max and Archie are now 9 and 7. They are involved in the Latvian community, participating in camps and other cultural activities. They also both play hockey! Looking back, Kristina says that it took a couple of years for the enormity of what she had taken on to fully sink in. At some point, she realized that she couldn’t do it all: work law firm hours as a partner and be a dedicated single parent to her boys. Kristina stepped away from the partnership and her firm agreed to an alternative arrangement. She acts as counsel and has the flexibility to work at home when her boys need her. Balancing single parenthood with her career has been a challenge, but Kristina wouldn’t have it any other way.

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PHOTO: BRIAN NOPPÈ PHOTOGRAPHY