My husband Paul and I took a body blow at the end of one September. We’d had a baby boy in adoptive placement in our home for two months, thinking he would be ours forever, and then one day we knew he wouldn’t. We surrendered him back to the arms of the young woman who… Continue reading The Unexpected Grace of Pumpkins
Category: Adoption
It’s Not Just You
I just sent this text to a friend. It helps to know we're not the only ones. This is the greatest gift we can give one another, the gift of it's not just you. I feel like I say this all the time (feel free to roll your eyes at me), but I really only write about… Continue reading It’s Not Just You
Seven
Seven years ago, in the evening, I was leaving a board meeting for a chorus I was singing with, and my cell phone rang. It was our caseworker. "Baby was born," she said. She'd called the house a couple of times, finally rousing Paul from sleep for a confused conversation. He'd managed to wake up… Continue reading Seven
Backpack Treasures
Yesterday and today, all the stuff from school came home in backpacks. Besides random Pokemon cards (the boys were thrilled), I found such delightful things. You guys. From the beginning of the year until sometime in February, Levi apparently kept a journal at school. I cannot even handle it. 12/6/16 my least favrit seasn is… Continue reading Backpack Treasures
Empty Frames
We don't have any pictures of our boys' birthmothers. I am sad about this for my boys. They have asked about pictures, a little, and I think it will be more important to them later, as they grow up and think more about what adoption really means. Perhaps when they are first asked to make… Continue reading Empty Frames
Remembrance
I'm not always great with dates. I've mentioned before that anniversaries sometimes sneak up on me. I am convinced that this is not an actual decline in cognitive ability, but the fact that I am trying to remember roughly 1000 things at any given time. (Just nod and smile.) So last night when I slid… Continue reading Remembrance
Powwow
Paul took the boys away to a cabin for a couple of nights over the holiday weekend. People have been asking what I'm doing with myself. Mostly cleaning and decluttering like a woman possessed. Yes, I know I should take some time to relax, but you know what really helps me relax? A clean house with… Continue reading Powwow
Adoption
Right before I left to pick Elias up from preschool today, I saw a video on Facebook of a little girl holding her baby brother for the first time. When I got to the school, I had to sit in the car for a minute and pull myself together, because I couldn't stop crying. There's nothing… Continue reading Adoption