Come take a walk with me...

I am so excited to be going through this adoption process. I am in awe that my dream of adopting and being a mom is looking like it might really happen. I believe my life for the last 12+ years has been leading up to this very moment. My past career experiences, moving to Philly, going to China, all of it has been a training ground to help prepare me for what is almost here…

Last night my mother and I went to my first adoption class. Considering this has been the field I have worked in, I thought it would be really monotonous. The class itself was not earth shattering, but the people in the class made it come alive with their stories.

There was a couple that have not yet completed their home study, they still have classes to take and yet somehow they are fostering THREE BABIES and hope to adopt all three - one they are definitely getting to adopt. The wife quit her job as a teacher and now works from home writing for the New York Times. She said she had to go home afterwards and write about three hurricanes…

Another guy was there and he and his wife are in the process of trying to adopt their 9th & 10th child. They are already fostering them, and just trying to adopt the kids before they turn 18.

Another couple was engaged and in the same boat as me, wanting to do straight adoption. Another guy has fostered about 11-16 kids over the years. The last woman and her husband have a younger child they are trying to adopt… I didn’t get to hear all of her story. I was told that 7 of the 8 people in the class were singles… turns out I was the only single.

Their stories on how the system works and their personal experiences were wonderful. (Not happy stories of course, but helpful.)

I came away confident that foster parenting was NOT for me, but also had a greater appreciation for those that do foster. Oh, their job is so hard. Having children in their home that they love, and still assisting in the visitation with the birth family because parental rights have not been terminated yet. Knowing you are sending that precious child into a bad situation each time (maybe not dangerous, but at the very least full of empty promises.)

I am going to continue to post at least for the next few weeks/months of this journey… so, come take a walk with me…