Carrie Goldman is a multi-awarded author and advocate of non-profit anti-bullying projects but she is also a mother of three girls who worries for her eldest daughter because she is adopted. That is why, as she watched the "Supergirl" with her family and noted how realistic it portrays the relationship between adoptive sisters are, she decided to pen an open letter to the Danvers sisters to express her gratitude about their realistic approach to a sensitive situation.
She noted that most films focus on the extreme ends of the spectrum when tackling adoption, that is, mistreated kids ending up with abusive adoptive parents or adoptive families who become the recipient of a perfect life after being saved by their adoptive parents. That is why she is really grateful that "Supergirl" strikes a balance between the two and opted to show the Danvers sisters who, while not biologically related, are both strong, flawed and bonded, just like any sibling.
"When your family is built through adoption, you rarely see nuanced portrayals of adoptive families in the media [...] Watching Supergirl has normalized our experience, where some parts of adoption are amazing and other parts are really difficult, but what never changes is that we are family, and we love each other. Thank you for that," she wrote.
What prompted Goldman to write the open letter was the way "Supergirl" stars Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh interacted with her daughters at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) when they lined up for an autograph signing session. She noted that both actresses were very warm and welcoming to her kids, which only served to get them more excited about the show and help the family bond regardless of circumstance.
Goldman also expressed in her letter that her eldest daughter strongly identified with Kara Danvers, also known as Supergirl, not only because she is the adopted child but because of the emotions that Kara feels as someone who is not biologically connected to the family she grew up with.
"[It's] our oldest daughter that has gained the most from Supergirl. She identifies strongly with Kara Danvers [...] our girl misses her first family, and she struggles with feeling alien at times," she wrote.
She revealed that her eldest is at her best when she is channeling her Supergirl within when dealing with family situations such as when her sister is not in a good mood.
"We plan to frame your autographs and hang them right over the television, a forever reminder of the day we met the Danvers sisters, an adoptive family that strikes a responsive chord with ours," she concluded.
