“I nearly fell right out of my seat when I saw my very first picture of Axel. A cherub, round face of a gorgeous 6-month-old, with the biggest blue eyes, stared right into my soul from the computer screen in that social worker’s office. I was floating on cloud 9, but she reminded me there are always risks involved with adopting from foster care.”
“Single and adopting. Those two words, when said together, shock people. ‘Wouldn’t it just be easier to get married and have kids?’ I woke up Thursday at 3 a.m. with an email. They asked if I would be interested. I VERY quickly responded with an absolute, ‘YES’. Adoption always was in my story.”
“Living in 2020 is kind of like living inside of a dumpster…during a tsunami…while it rains dirty diapers. If you are doing everything you know to do, fear is no longer keeping you safe, it’s merely robbing you of your joy.”
“The car stopped and I ran to the bathroom. I was greeted by the most unwelcome guest: an amount of bright red, to this day 5 years later, makes my heart stop to remember. I was angry at the world.”
“I’m both eager for him to be able to hold his head up on his own and asking time to stand still so I can keep him this size in my arms forever. No book, YouTube video, or class could have prepared me for motherhood.”
“Things didn’t go as planned. Usually, when they call, they start by saying everything is fine. They did not say that. We had to learn how to touch him without causing him pain.”
“I know your hands are full. I know it doesn’t feel like a big deal. I know other people are doing it. I know it’s a small store and there aren’t many patrons. I know it’s only for a few minutes. I know. I know. I know. AND I DON’T CARE.”
“I went from being a youth pastor’s wife, youth leader, and teacher, to all of those things PLUS a mom of a pre-teen and teenager. My body screamed, ‘YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT,’ but my mind responded, ‘I don’t know how.’ Then, we were forced to stay home in our pajamas.”
“School was a scary place to be. Kids called me fat. I told my mom, ‘I want to lose weight.’ I wasn’t deemed ‘Instagram-worthy. It became my weakness.”
“You watch ball games from vehicle windows, listen to distant conversations and laughter from inside, and send your family off on outdoor adventures with a smile, but one that aches. You view the world from hospital rooms, and the walls of your home become barriers that detain you from the life you once lived.”
