The Mother of All Decisions : A Memoir of Mother Loss, Legacy, and Adopting Kids in Midlife

What is legacy, and how will I leave one? Betsy Armstrong asks herself this question after her forty-six-year-old mother dies with a list of regrets and her stepfather completely disinherits her. Alone, Betsy sets about building a life of no regrets: becoming a marathon runner and Ironman triathlete, quitting a cushy corporate job to lead a life of service, and overcoming a crippling fear of commitment to marry. Still, she''s always running from the grief she can''t escape. As Betsy''s forty-seventh birthday approaches, she finally confronts her losses and begins reflecting on the one thing she''d never considered: children. Inspired by a friend''s adoption, Betsy and her husband, Doug, choose that path but face daunting obstacles - a failed adoption, a Russian courtroom drama, and a medical crisis in a tiny Russian town seven time zones away from Moscow. As the outcome of the adoption waxes and wanes, Betsy is forced to make the biggest decision of her life: How far will she go to become a mother?