Who recieves the gift in adoption?

Adoption is truly a rare, lovely gift. It is not a quiet gift. It is decorated with many colors. You will see them all. One can imagine a sparkly package with a perfect bow. For some, years of weeping are held inside this package. Opening the memories inside can be scary. It takes years of care, stability, unconditional love, mistakes, trust, patience, prayers and faith to stop the tears from flowing outside the gift. Finding safety, courage and strength in an unfamiliar place, would be a treacherous feat for an older package, let alone a new one. Before you open this gift, close your eyes and imagine what is inside. This blessing abruptly lost everything familiar. The place called home, the people, all of the “stuff” they had and was then placed with you, strangers. What a scary place to be!  If I was the gift, I would certainly jump out and yell surprise! I’m here!

Six years ago today our party of five became seven overnight. Little did we know what terrific, terrifying, tumultuous times were ahead. Adoption was unforeseen, yet meant to be. If you knew how difficult something would be, would you step outside? If you knew someday, it would be worth the time, tears, and gut wrenching lessons it would take to live outside the box, would you do it? There have been times we thought really?! You think we can do this?! Ignorance is bliss. Laughter is mandatory! Adoption IS a gift!  Life is about the journey. Everyone has a story. Would you change yours? Our lives are all different, yet similar.  Each of us experience challenges, set backs, growth, love and loss. How you see a gift is up to you.

Our two youngest gifts have been a surprise to us all. They are amazing, bright and funny kids. They have taught us lessons we never knew were there. They have completed a family that we thought was complete. Stepping outside the box of comfort with them, led us to develop a blind faith. A strength that we desperately needed to prepare us for our future loss of our oldest child.  Our loss gives us a clearer view of theirs.  Cheers to six years of our gifts that keep on giving and here’s to many more!

Peace and blessings!

MamaC

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:11-12