And then there were 5.
We were getting a new baby. I had been waiting for months, not for my mom's belly to grow as is typical, but for the paperwork to be done. A tiny-5-pound baby with saggy skin hanging off of him was brought home and boy was my Christmas made! I loved cuddling him, making him laugh, changing him and snuggling him in my bed at night. 10 months went by and he was finally growing into his skin as he chubbed out.
In October my parents told us we were getting a baby girl. She was due to be born anytime in the next 4 weeks and dang was that insane and SO exciting. She was chubby with pitch colored hair and round pink cheeks when my parents brought her home from the hospital. My baby Moo had joined the family.
Now there were 5. We were complete and though challenges would come our way we would be together.
Flash forward 7 and 6 years and my "angel cookies" as I used to call them are growing up. The hardships and grief that have come our way are more than I could ever have imagined when they were born; they are getting older but they will always be my babies. I shouldered hour upon hour of baby watching responsibility (and I didn't make the decision to adopt them) but I am forever changed because of the opportunity given to me by virtue of the trials life has thrown my way. I didn't sign the documents but they have been my world.
I am proud of who I am and what my babies have helped me to become.
On any given day there are nearly 443,000 children in the foster care system in the United States. There is also the reality that often people who can afford adoption are looking for a child that looks a specific way and that leaves out babies. My siblings' adoptions were made possible by the New Church Adoption Grant and we are lucky that was around. The qualifier for this grant though was that the children had to be under the "special needs" category. This "special needs" category means presumed drug and alcohol abuse while in utero which obviously can cause major issues. It also includes children who are biracial or Black among other qualifiers.
Why did the children have to be part of this category? Because although there are mile-long lists of parents who want to adopt children in the United States there are still many who are deemed riskier or don't look like the parents who are adopting them.
Have you thought of adoption? Have you thought of learning more about the statistics in your area? Have you thought about how you can give to open adoption agencies? It isn't just for people who can't conceive, it is for everyone. There are hundreds of thousands of children in the United States who need support and the system is broken.
They need homes.
You have one.
They need safety.
You have it.
They need guidance.
You can give it.
Consider opening up to a precious life that needs your love and protection. And believe me, you need their spirit and laughter in your life just as much.
I eagerly await the day when I am ready to start my own family and can begin the long process of adoption. This process though long has an infinite return on investment.
Moral: Consider adoption. You can have biological and adopted children. You can save a life.
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