I realize the last few posts have been very self-centered and as excited as I am about having this baby, I thought it might be time to write about other people's babies. Growing up my family was a foster family and over the years we took care of lots of babies and kids, some of whom were abused, neglected or mentally handicapped. In high school I shared my room with a rambunctious 2 year old for 2 years and it was the most rewarding experience of my life and I dare say, that of my entire family. Sure this experience was not without a lot of challenges, but through it all I came to admire my parents and the strength of their marriage. I realized first hand what it is to love someone more than yourself, and just how many children need a loving home. We werethisclose (literally 1 day away from adopting Nina, the 2 year old), but then another family came along who had young children, a stay at home mom to give her the extra attention she needed and they were multi-ethnic, just like her! It was so painful to let her go, but we realized what a blessing this new family was and what an even greater blessing that they wanted to include us as part of their new family.
Not every foster care story has the same ending, but every child deserves the same chance. This Saturday is national adoption day and if even you arent in a position to adopt a child or even a pet right now, consider volunteering for an organization like CASA (court appointed special advocates) or becoming active in Big Brothers Big Sisters. OR simply talk to other people about the huge numbers of children, not just babies, who just need someone to love them and care for them.
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