Adoption
- "Life" Books, Adoption, Aunt-ing, Children, Family, Friends & Neighbors, GRANDparents, Grief, Memories, Mommy, Siblings, Single Parenting
Savoring the Memories
“Give me the WILD children with their BARE feet and SPARKLING eyes! The RESTLESS, churning climbers. The wild ones using their outside voices, singing ALL THE WAY HOME. Give me the WONDER-FILLED glorious mess makers DREAMING of mountains and mud, and aching to RUN through the field of stars.” Nicolette Sowder Just this week my mom and I were talking about how much we miss children. Where I grew up there was plenty of space for children to play and explore, it was a child’s dream come true. I can say this because that’s exactly how I felt there. If children were not at our house, we were still close…
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A Miracle Starts
The pictures above were hand crafted by a parent (I babysat for) grown to be true friend. I always admired her artwork in her home, and now I have my very own! Ask my parents- these are not to be touched or removed from my sight! Seriously! The one on the left is from a picture taken just a few days before my Lucy ran ahead to Jesus, with the hymn, “I need Thee every hour,” which I sang to her since she was born. The one on the right is taken from a picture right after her finalization hearing, almost exactly two months before, with the words “wonderfully made,”…
- "Life" Books, Adoption, Being "Single", Chronic Illness, Friends & Neighbors, GRANDparents, Mommy, My Little, Single Parenting
What does it mean to leave home?
Let’s start today with a question: What does it mean for someone to “leave home?” I really want you to take time and think about this one. Think about what defines leaving home physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, financially, relationships and so on. Think, think, think, as Pooh Bear would say, before continuing. Why in the world would I bringing this to your attention today? First, I have overheard some comments made recently about adult children living with their parents. Second, I happen to be an adult daughter living with my parents. (which I will address the word “child” being used after adult, below) Third, I had to do some real…
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Days Gone By
A fun “Unless you know me well” fact: although this is my favorite weather and holiday season, this time of year tends to bring out “oops did I just say that out loud?” moments. I tend to be a bit sarcastic and a tad rebellious to the “assignments” of the world around us. A few examples: Thanksgiving: I love family and traditions, but when it comes to assignments of listing what you are thankful for… well, I was the kid who always listed the same things, Mom, Dad, Brother, Jesus, Friends. I was often perplexed by this assignment, especially in a Christian School, because why wasn’t this an assignment throughout…
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Asking for Help, Not the “Fixing” Kind
“I need to remember that I live in a culture of doers and fixers.” – Christine Rhyner, How Much Did You Pay for Her? Nailed it! This quote is from one of the many amazing books I read in “the waiting” for my little girl to arrive. I have to often remind myself of these words, and remember to give grace, because I need just as much grace. I tend to have a cut and dry outlook, not necessarily optimistic but not pessimistic. More of a “please don’t try to fix me or the situation that cannot be fixed, and I will do the same for you.” Give me Jesus,…
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every child. every parent. every family.
“I was in the grocery store, and a woman looked at me and my daughter. I’m white and my daughter is African-American. ‘Is that your daughter?’ she asked. I said, ‘Yes.’ ‘Her father must have been very dark,’ she said. I couldn’t resist answering, ‘I don’t know, I’ve never met the man.'” – Adopting on Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adopting as a Single Parent, by Lee Varon I have stories for days like the one above. Some that others have told me, and some of my very own. We humans tend to assume and can sometimes be very narrow-minded. We don’t mean to be, but it’s ingrained in…
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Life and Lollipop Toes
I am going to jump right in today, and lay out what I believe with great conviction and also find important to make clear before moving forward today… I know that was a lot to get to what I actually want to write today, but my hope was to make clear where I am coming from and where my heart is. November is National Adoption Month. So this month I hope to bring some light to some areas of adoption that may be new or a little less familiar to you. Today, I want to share one of the very real and heart breaking realizations I discovered and researched that…
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this little one calls me Mommy…
I left you hanging on the last post, that there would be one more “little” to come… (for such a time as this :)) There are two things I want to define before I embark on this incredible journey today, “miracles” and what I tend to refer to as “never happens.” Miracles, definition by a ragamuffin (me): when i use the word “miracle,” every person is a miracle. The fact that God knits us together and created a space for us to grow for 9 months, safely, is a miracle! There are miracles happening everyday, every moment, you just have to open your eyes to them. They don’t have to…
