adopt
adoption awareness month. yep. I know. you've been enjoying Thanksgiving. maybe you are even Christmas shopping (or you are already finished for that matter) and putting lights up on your house. I am still taking this opportunity to intentionally ponder adoption. I have kicked around this blog for a month now. why is this important enough to dedicate a month to? how is it relevant to everyone else? why do I care? I have never adopted anyone. I wasn't adopted. yet it is so important.
: to take by choice into a relationship; especially : to take voluntarily as one's own child... to accept responsibility of the maintenance of
as a child, I was fascinated by "orphans". all of my favorite movies involved them. The Little Princess, Heidi, just about every Shirley Temple movie, Anastasia, Annie, Cinderella. I would watch them over and over. the idea of someone not having family entranced me. you see. I didn't just have parents. I had so many people that cared for me. I was so fortunate. the concept of someone not having that was so intriguing to me. it was a totally foreign and uncharted concept for me. like going to the moon. an experience I knew nothing about personally. the older I got, the more I wanted to understand this world. I saw a need and was eager to help. long story short anyway.
I know everyone doesn't feel like they should "adopt" in the traditional sense of that word. not really looking to change your mind about that in one blog. but I do want to look at the underlying meaning of this word. to take by choice into a relationship. have you ever voluntarily entered into a relationship with someone who had nothing to offer you? to accept the responsibility or maintenance of someone who is "lesser" than you. there are plenty of rosy stories of people who have helped others and ridden off into the sunset together. it is a beautiful thing. but so many people have another picture in their heads. many of us have helped someone. and the result wasn't quite so pleasant. we offered a piece of ourselves and been left with nothing. or worse. we have been taken advantage of. it leaves you empty. confused. exhausted. and it is easy to walk away from these experiences, jaded. not going to make that mistake again. "no good deed goes unpunished." my mom tells me that was one of my grandmother's favorite sayings. but in the 6 years I knew my grandmother, she was FULL of good deeds. she had seen many a punishment for such deeds. but it didn't stop her.
that is something I strive for. life can be so hard. we all have our own battles. at moments, we have all thought, "can it get worse?" I believe it always can. and I believe there is always something to be thankful for. I have given my all to people on a few occasions in my life. and many times, I came up short. but I would never have passed on any of those experiences. even in hindsight. you see. any experience can bring something positive. I know we all know this. but we tend to forget it. it seems so much easier at times to just live within our own worlds. with people like us. who think (dare I say vote) and live like us. they never take something that they can not reciprocate. we meet each other for lunch and we always leave feeling refreshed. it is a nice way to live. for a while.
I don't feel like that is enough though. am I the only one? I don't want to live a nice life. who wants to be conventional? normal. comfortable. right after Aaron and I got married, we lived a pretty "comfortable" life. it was nice. but honestly, the first almost 4 years of our marriage were rather unremarkable. we wanted more. we wanted different. we wanted to BE different. Alessia Cara is my new favorite artist. I mentioned one of her songs in my last blog. she has another I love just as much called wild things. now this song on the surface is more of a "I am 18 and different and not conforming". but she explains a little in the video about how we are all called to be wild. to challenge the norm. to do more with our lives.
find me where the wild things are.
I want to adopt. I want to take on the responsibilities of others. it is unorthodox. and uncomfortable. it is a pain that is almost unbearable so many days. but it has also brought me so much joy. so much peace. so much LOVE!
October 2007. I had just started college classes. I also started my first REAL job. I had been employed a few other places. but this was the first job that went towards the careers I had in mind. I became the children's director at Edgewood UMC. that church will always hold a special place in my heart. I thought I was grown. but I learned in my time there how much I had no clue. I met many families that I still love. so many awesome kids that are now turning into adults themselves. I have even gotten to serve along side several of them. it is such a cool experience.
another one of "my kids" is coming back into our lives. and she is bringing an adorable side kick!
Hannah is a precious girl who will be living with us for as long as she needs a home. and her sweet baby boy, Levi will be with her. she is currently pursuing her GED and learning how to be a mom. we are ecstatic to have them join our family. I hope all of you that are friends and family of us will welcome them with open arms. we know this won't always be fun or easy. but we know it will be an experience that leaves all 7 of us (Aaron, SJ, bigs, smalls, ittybitty, Hannah, and Levi) better. so in the mean time, please send us all the prayers, good vibes, and baby boy hand me downs you got! and spend a little time as we wrap up this lovely adoption awareness month reflecting on how you can take on the responsibility of someone else. you will be glad you did.
Definition of adopt
transitive verb: to take by choice into a relationship; especially : to take voluntarily as one's own child... to accept responsibility of the maintenance of
as a child, I was fascinated by "orphans". all of my favorite movies involved them. The Little Princess, Heidi, just about every Shirley Temple movie, Anastasia, Annie, Cinderella. I would watch them over and over. the idea of someone not having family entranced me. you see. I didn't just have parents. I had so many people that cared for me. I was so fortunate. the concept of someone not having that was so intriguing to me. it was a totally foreign and uncharted concept for me. like going to the moon. an experience I knew nothing about personally. the older I got, the more I wanted to understand this world. I saw a need and was eager to help. long story short anyway.
I know everyone doesn't feel like they should "adopt" in the traditional sense of that word. not really looking to change your mind about that in one blog. but I do want to look at the underlying meaning of this word. to take by choice into a relationship. have you ever voluntarily entered into a relationship with someone who had nothing to offer you? to accept the responsibility or maintenance of someone who is "lesser" than you. there are plenty of rosy stories of people who have helped others and ridden off into the sunset together. it is a beautiful thing. but so many people have another picture in their heads. many of us have helped someone. and the result wasn't quite so pleasant. we offered a piece of ourselves and been left with nothing. or worse. we have been taken advantage of. it leaves you empty. confused. exhausted. and it is easy to walk away from these experiences, jaded. not going to make that mistake again. "no good deed goes unpunished." my mom tells me that was one of my grandmother's favorite sayings. but in the 6 years I knew my grandmother, she was FULL of good deeds. she had seen many a punishment for such deeds. but it didn't stop her.
that is something I strive for. life can be so hard. we all have our own battles. at moments, we have all thought, "can it get worse?" I believe it always can. and I believe there is always something to be thankful for. I have given my all to people on a few occasions in my life. and many times, I came up short. but I would never have passed on any of those experiences. even in hindsight. you see. any experience can bring something positive. I know we all know this. but we tend to forget it. it seems so much easier at times to just live within our own worlds. with people like us. who think (dare I say vote) and live like us. they never take something that they can not reciprocate. we meet each other for lunch and we always leave feeling refreshed. it is a nice way to live. for a while.
I don't feel like that is enough though. am I the only one? I don't want to live a nice life. who wants to be conventional? normal. comfortable. right after Aaron and I got married, we lived a pretty "comfortable" life. it was nice. but honestly, the first almost 4 years of our marriage were rather unremarkable. we wanted more. we wanted different. we wanted to BE different. Alessia Cara is my new favorite artist. I mentioned one of her songs in my last blog. she has another I love just as much called wild things. now this song on the surface is more of a "I am 18 and different and not conforming". but she explains a little in the video about how we are all called to be wild. to challenge the norm. to do more with our lives.
find me where the wild things are. I want to adopt. I want to take on the responsibilities of others. it is unorthodox. and uncomfortable. it is a pain that is almost unbearable so many days. but it has also brought me so much joy. so much peace. so much LOVE!
October 2007. I had just started college classes. I also started my first REAL job. I had been employed a few other places. but this was the first job that went towards the careers I had in mind. I became the children's director at Edgewood UMC. that church will always hold a special place in my heart. I thought I was grown. but I learned in my time there how much I had no clue. I met many families that I still love. so many awesome kids that are now turning into adults themselves. I have even gotten to serve along side several of them. it is such a cool experience.
another one of "my kids" is coming back into our lives. and she is bringing an adorable side kick!
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| here's to having children in my home whose faces I can share! isn't he adorable?! |
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