Belonging Matters is meant to support the adoption community while creating a conversation with those not directly touched by adoption. The collection addresses the questions: -If you are part of the adoption universe, how do you find identity, family, and community -If someone you know is adopted, how do you understand and support them in their search for identity, family, and belonging -How do we improve the adoption experience to invoke social change that benefits the individual, the family unit, and the communities in which they live? This collection is about examining all that makes us unique, and it is about finding meaning and healing from the difficulties we encounter in life.

In a distant land far from the comforts of his own bedroom, Emet embarks on a remarkable journey. This land is inhabited by wondrous creatures: golden monkeys, pink elephants, and the intriguing Ishkadees. These mystical beings possess medicinal powers known only to pure souls under the age of nine. Unlike the usual bedtime stories told by his father, this tale becomes a stark reality for Emet. With just ten days left before his ninth birthday, he must undertake a treacherous journey to seek an Ishkadee's healing abilities to save his ailing mother.

Emet, accompanied by his mother, father, grandfather, and their guide, plunges deep into the jungle in search of this elusive miracle. However, their quest unveils more than they had anticipated, revealing that their own relationships are in need of healing as well. As the story unfolds, Emet's emotionally removed father is confronted with a pivotal choice, forcing him to reassess what truly matters.

This is a story of hope, faith, and the ever-evolving realization that the essence of all love resides within one's self and family. Will the Ishkadees, said to inhabit the depths of the Erawan jungle in Thailand, prove to be more than just a legend?