Thursday, June 7, 2012

Saying It Out Loud


I'm going to say something out loud here that I've been whispering in my mind for a while now.

I whispered because I was afraid people would judge me, call me crazy, shake their heads and never visit my blog again. I'm pretty sure that's what the people in my non-blog land will do. But if there is anything I have learned in my many years on this earth, it's that I can't let other people's opinions mold my decisions. That's easier said than done sometimes, but with time I am finding it easier to travel my own path.

I want to adopt another child.

Don't bother calling the men in white coats. Trust me, this has been a decision long in the making, and one which I have thought and prayed about for a very long time. I know some, if not most, will call me crazy, but my heart says otherwise, and right now I am listening to my heart.

I don't have a specific child in mind. I haven't really even started looking hard, but I feel led in this direction, a leading that was similar to what I felt with all my other children.

I want a child with medical issues. Caring for such a child is where my strengths lie. I would especially like to find a child that lives in an institution, a child that needs to know the true meaning of family and home, not staff and facilities. That type of child is not easy to find. When a social worker places a child in a facility, they usually do so because they feel there is no other option, and that the only way the child will survive is to be in such a setting. I just want the chance to tell them Ashley's story, and then hopefully they will change their minds.

Ashley was destined for an institution. I was the only person who expressed interest in adopting her, and even then, I had to work very hard to convince her social worker that Ashley would be better off in a family instead of a facility. And I was correct. Ashley has flourished, not just survived, in our family. Without going into details which will make me cry, Ashley would be a very, very different person had she been placed in an institution as a baby.

So there - I've said it for all the blogging world to hear. Who knows what the future holds, but I hope it means another child will join my family.

2 comments:

Just the Tip said...

=) I knew a puppy wouldn't fill that void. I don't think you're crazy. We have two bio medically complex children and oh how I want to adopt, but alas we don't have the space or money for adoption. BUT if we ever do, the child will have special needs. No questions asked there. People would say I'm crazy too so I totally get it. And I'm so excited to be able to follow you on this journey!!

Unknown said...

Good for you ! I pray God will lead you to the child he has for you . I learned along time ago that people who judge are weak. they see your strengths as their weakness. You have what others wish they could obtain, strength, patience, and unconditional love . Congrats on the decision !