15 Celebrity Quotes About Adoption That Speak to How Beautiful It Really Is

The decision to have a child, no matter what that process may look like, is a deeply intense and personal one. At the risk of sounding too cheesy, children really do fill your world with more love and happiness than you can ever imagine, regardless of whether or not you gave birth to them. Children who are adopted are 100 percent their parents' children from the moment they take them home. And while no one who hasn't been through the process can know exactly how it feels, just loving a child is something every mother can relate to.

Celebrities such as Katherine Heigl, Hugh Jackman, and Sandra Bullock have all adopted children and have also spoken out about their beautiful families and how they came to be. Keep reading for 15 quotes about adoption that really get to the heart of how beautiful and special it really is.

1. "Anyone who doesn't have experience with adoption wonders, 'Does love for a child come through DNA?' I knew it didn't. The moment you hold your child, you're wholly in love. And you'll do anything to protect them and shelter them." — Katherine Heigl
2. "Let's all just refer to these kids as 'our kids.' Don't say, 'my adopted child.' No one calls their kid their 'IVF child' or their 'Oh, sh*t, I went to a bar and got knocked up child.' Let's just say, 'our children.'" — Sandra Bullock
3. "I relate to [unconditional love and being deeply maternal]. I feel that for my own children who are adopted. It's not about anything else other than 'I wanted you.' It's that deep and personal, and whatever your journey is, I'm here to love and support you." — Nicole Kidman
4. "There were wrenching moments. I say to everybody, 'Adoption is not for the faint of heart.'" — Mariska Hargitay
5. "I never thought of myself as a mother, [but after playing with Cambodian children], it was suddenly very clear to me that my son was in the country, somewhere. He is my son, but he is also a son of Cambodia. This is the time for our family to understand all that means to him and to us." — Angelina Jolie
6. "And the second I saw his picture, I was done . . . that was my son!" — Connie Britton
7. "It is definitely the hardest thing we've ever been through. But I think it needs to be hard because you have to fight for that baby. I've done both now — I've had one biological and I've had one through adoption. It's a battle to bring your child home. And it just strengthens you as parents and as a team. It is hard but it's so worth it." — Lauren Akins
8. "I always tell Genesis she was born from my heart, not my belly." — Viola Davis
9. "It's inexplicable. It's like saying, 'Why do you fall in love with the people you fall in love with?' You look into the eyes of somebody, you feel their soul, you feel touched by them — that's it." — Madonna
10. "It is terrifying, partly because with adoption you always know there's the chance that it won't work. So you're on pins and needles." — Kristin Davis
11. "The other day, I asked my son Laird if he knew how much I loved him and he said, 'Yeah. Because you chose me.'" — Sharon Stone
12. "Even when I was in relationships, I was always honest with my partners that adoption was how my family would look one day . . . this was definitely not a second option for me. It was always my first." — Charlize Theron
13. "I am convinced, completely convinced that there was nothing random about it. She is the daughter I should have. I never felt like I was on a rescue mission or anything like that. I just really wanted a baby; I was on a mission to connect with somebody, and Daisy and I got to meet each other this way at this time. We are so compatible." — Meg Ryan
14. "We struggled, a couple miscarriages, [in vitro fertilization] — it was not easy. It was difficult, obviously particularly on Deb. I remember saying to her, 'We were always going to adopt — let's just adopt now.'" — Hugh Jackman
15. "In a weird way, it wasn't planned. It's a weird thing how adoptions can sometimes be as irrational as regular birth." — Ty Burrell