Archives for March 2013
Unprepared
I wasn’t feeling great tonight. I laid on the couch while Mark managed it all. Scrolling through my inbox, trying to catch up on emails (a task harder than keeping up with laundry) led me to this. I was unprepared. I simply clicked on the link. Mercy Mercy.
An hour and 36 minutes later, here I am.
I know their story isn’t every story. But, it’s their story. In my opinion, it should be required viewing for Hague training as it gives an inside view of the need for ethics before adoption and the need for good preparation, counsel, and support after adoption. And, it reminds us that the child needs to come first.I wasn’t prepared for it tonight. But, I’m so glad I ended up there.
Dear Chick-fil-a…
Dear Chick-fil-a,
Tell me about the day I was born. What was it like for you?
I know this is a fun question to ask. I’d love to hear my own father answer this one. But, to be sensitive to families like ours and like a few my family met tonight at your restaurant who have children who joined their family via adoption, I think this question should have been worded differently.
Tell me about the day I joined the family. What was it like for you?
or
Tell me about the day you first met me. What was it like for you?
These questions would encourage the same conversation but in a way that honors families built a little differently, families who may not know anything about the day their child was born.
We love who you are and what you do. Sometimes, it only takes a little change to do it even better.
Sincerely,
Kelly
Once upon a time
Once upon a time, I spent most of my day managing a little man who struggled with a lot of things. I worried. I tried hard to make things easier for him and often felt I wasn’t able. I cried. a lot. Evaluations and IEP meetings ended in at least one of us crying. I wondered what life would be like years later–like in 2013.
And, here we are.
We tried soccer. No, I tried soccer–an attempt that ended in us dragging the boy to a field where he’d hover on the side lines and cry, begging to go home. He finally announced to his super attuned parents, “I don’t like team sports!” And, that was it.
I never would have guessed that his niche would be on the stage. I should have. I should have guessed when as a preschooler, he’d interact with people as long as he had a costume on. But, I never thought that the boy who still can’t remember his own phone number would be able to memorize lines and stand in front of an auditorium full of strangers and come alive as a character. And, I mean come alive.
He loves it. He loved the practices. He loved the set building. He loved the backstage prep. My boy with sensory issues abounding even loved the makeup and costume with a collared shirt no less.
Once upon a time, this mama doubted and feared and made assumptions about a little boy based on my own experience and expectations.