I hear a lot of ‘what ifs’ in the world of foster care and adoption. In fact, I lived in the ‘what ifs’ before we jumped headlong into an adoption that almost drowned me in fear. What if the baby I am fostering goes back to the biological parents? What if I have to give her back? What if I… Read More
You know that moment when your kid is freaking out in public? The moment that you see the sideways glances and hear the whispers? I think that as parents we all will experience that epic Wal-Mart freak out, or theme park meltdown. It’s part of the reality of parenting, but sometimes it’s attached to a bigger fear. Within the foster… Read More
My child glanced back at me, and then reached over and grabbed your hand and kissed it. You smiled down at her and I could read your mind. “What a sweet and loving child”. I also knew exactly how wrong this whole situation was, because my child was looking up at you and reaching for your fingers to SURVIVE. My… Read More
I want to leave these words for you. Perhaps you will one day pick them up and gather a better understanding of your journey. I hope they give you courage and strength and a sense of how very much you are loved. It’s been one year. I will never forget that moment. I won’t forget walking into a building with… Read More
She wrote, “I’m glad adoption worked out for you, it doesn’t for everyone. Our adoption has destroyed us.” I would never consider that adoption has worked out for me. I would also wager to bet that I am not who I was before we adopted. I am broken and lonely. I fight voices that tell me I am fighting a… Read More
My Benjamin His name was Benjamin* and I was in my first year of teaching in a small, rural school. He was not an attractive child and the layers of dirt, grime and smell did not help his likeability. He rarely spoke and sat in the corner of my classroom, and could have easily been forgotten. He had passed through… Read More