My dad had a dream on Tuesday of the week we went into foster care, that he was going to adopt two little girls. At this point he didn't really know what it meant, but he knew it was different than any other dream he'd ever had. that weekend he got a call from a lady that used to work with him, Martha. Martha was the cousin of Mary, my foster mom. She hadn't talked to my parents in 3 years, but knew they had been trying to have kids, and felt the need to call them. She called to see if they had been able to have kids or if they were still trying. My parents had just recently gone to the Doctor to find out they couldn't have kids the "normal" way. They started discussing other options and were considering in vitro. When Martha called to tell my dad about two little girls that her cousin just got through foster care, he realized they went to church with extended family of my foster parents and had actually played basketball with my foster dad the previous fall.
My dad discussed it with my mom and she didn't even think twice before agreeing to meet us. When most women might have thought they wanted to try and have their own kids first, my mom didn't have a second thought. This miracle is two fold b/c remember my sister and I were 4 & 9 months at this point. When most people think of adoption they think of babies. My parents knew I was older and we came as a package. They were okay with that. Thank you God. The other part is that at one point CPS wanted to give us back to our birth parents. My foster mom had even given them beds for us. CPS was literally taking us back to their home and they had packed up and left. My mom always wonders if they knew we'd be better off with someone else. I'm just grateful God had a better plan for us.
I don't remember the first time I met my parents, but I have pictures and they tell me stories. I was so excited to meet them, I was waiting by the front door when they arrived. I was so desperate to feel loved that before they could even make it to the door I ran out and literally jumped into my Daddy's arms. It was love at first sight.
We spent some time getting to know them, and, according to my parents, they knew then that it was right. So, the process began.
My parents began the classes and the two year journey to becoming parents (and, I think 9 mos is a long time to wait). It was an emotional roller coaster for them, but one that had a happy ending.
I don't remember the first time I met my parents, but I have pictures and they tell me stories. I was so excited to meet them, I was waiting by the front door when they arrived. I was so desperate to feel loved that before they could even make it to the door I ran out and literally jumped into my Daddy's arms. It was love at first sight.
We spent some time getting to know them, and, according to my parents, they knew then that it was right. So, the process began.
My parents began the classes and the two year journey to becoming parents (and, I think 9 mos is a long time to wait). It was an emotional roller coaster for them, but one that had a happy ending.
At this point my parents knew we were theirs, but they had to take some classes and go through some evaluations before they could become our legal parents. During this time, the "community group" my parents were a part of at their church, held many prayer sessions petitioning God on our behalf. After going through most of the process they were told by our first case worker that they were the couple chosen to be our parents. Come to find out that case worker spoke before she was supposed to and so CPS told my parents the process had to start from the beginning and they were no longer in the running to get us. Heartbreak. Can you imagine. I can only equate this to what might be a miscarriage for women who are able to get pregnant. Obviously, this is not true physically, but emotionally it must have been terrible. Well, God had more to say about that. Shortly after my dad got a call that they lost our file and had to start completely over. My parents were back in the game, this time against twice as many couples.
3 comments:
I'm hooked! I can't wait to read the rest of this beautiful story!
You have no idea how I cried reading this story.. To know that "I" am the Martha you speak of makes me so proud that I was able to connect you and Reilly with your Mom & Dad... I wish (so desperately) that you could hear how excited your Dad was when I called him and started telling him the story of you and Reilly. Then when he realized that he already knew who you were... He was OVER THE TOP !!! What a true love story !! So happy that I could be a part of something so wonderful !!
Oh Martha! You just have know idea how heroic you have been to my family! Truly a blessing!
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