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
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
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
There is no other life event that I know of, that is such a crazy leap. My marriage, even the birth of my children, both had a period of waiting and prior connection. With international adoption, you walk into this room and they sit you down and time stands still. You are recalling the photo from the referral listing that… Read More
I’ve never really talked about him. I guess I wanted to forget and deep inside I hoped that the passing of time would fade his story. He was in my home a shorter time than most of our foster children. He did not reunify with family, he was not adopted, he was not moved to another home. He died. He died,… Read More