In a matter of months, this child we were caring for had received nine diagnosis’ with three more to be confirmed or ruled out. Be warned. This is not an unusual situation to run into.
“That’s him.” My spouse picked out a boy from the crowd and our world stood still. I was jealous of my spouse and rejected what was in front of my eyes. For me, love would take a long time to manifest. But I did feel something…
Despite some extraordinary events and discoveries, we accepted this boy from foster care. Day after day we accepted him. And we evolved from strangers to parents because of this. We are blessed to have done so. *A special poem for foster/adoptive parents.*
“Clean your room,” I said. “I did,” my son retorts. A sense of déjà vu hit me. And then I remembered. Two years ago I made my son a promise.
The goal is to assist with “rewiring” the pathways towards social connections and therefore, the ability to form a healthy relationship. I pray that one day my son’s spirit will be restored and he will see with open eyes that I am not the person who hurt him.
I worry about the meltdowns he has. I wonder if he’ll end up on the 5 o’clock news one day. Will love be enough to conquer all?
I didn’t realize that the hardest moment of the day would actually come after the departure. For my husband and I, this would be life changing loss.
With the release of the movie “Instant Family,” we (the foster-adoptive community) are getting some important media attention. While I appreciate that, it’s important to remember that the trauma behind leaving one’s first family is deep and painful. It also doesn’t end on adoption day. A child’s writing reveals a lot this holiday season.
Thanksgiving sends my son down a sensory-emotional roller coaster. It begins with the smells. Gravy, cinnamon, doughy rolls… He loves them, but won’t approach the ….
There is a special kind of time called “Mommy Time.” It’s sacred to me. One of the best parts of my Mommy Time is that ….