Tomorrow is an entirely new beginning for our family.
First and foremost, after 999 days of foster care, on Day 1000 -“N” will complete our family! It is nothing short of spectacular when I realize how perfectly God has brought us all together. I have been blessed beyond any explanation for it. In fact, I may never fully understand the how or why this came to be, I just know that we’ve all been better for this connection.
But tomorrow is much more than just “N”’s adoption day.
Since 2009, my husband and I (and our kids) have also “been in foster care”. That is 2844 days.
We’ve had open doors to caseworkers, coordinators, and even CPS investigators from disgruntled parents, while also being a safe haven and intermediary for those kids and those same disgruntled parents. We have seen damn near every specialist, therapist, doctor, and tutor on this side of the river. We have desperately tried to handle frustration with forgiveness, anger with calm, and drama with grace. We have been “on display” for a long time, and for so much of our children’s memorable lives. It’s been more than just a great sacrifice; one that we questioned at times, this path has been an amazing opportunity for us to grow as people, strengthen our family, test our grit and find the importance of our faith in God. We are blessed to have lived through some of it (and all of it) with our marriage intact and our kids being beacons of resilience and love- rather than resentment and fear. I will never hesitate to encourage others to help this broken system of broken people. There is so much need! There are so many others who don’t get to end their time in foster care.
But tomorrow we end our time in foster care- ALL of us together. We are starting this journey as just “US”, and we cannot be any more excited to share the experience with all of you. Those of you who prayed with us and for us, encouraged us, or our kids, pitched in physically or emotionally! This will be a day to celebrate- we made it!
Tomorrow we will still be a safe haven, a welcome sounding board, a cozy spot to take a breath and feel at home but not because we are required or expected to, it will be just because it’s who we are.
Happy last Adoption Day Eve!
Life on Cloud Ten 