I remembered the other day that my desire to adopt didn't just start a few years back. It began before I even met Mark. I remember talking with a friend when I was a teenager about someday adopting children who needed a home. This dream took many years to get even close to fruition. But we are getting closer. Not so much with Madison, however. Her team has several other families, in addition to us, who want her. Will we be considered again? Our fear says no; our faith and hope says yes.
So we are in the awkward position of moving on, while holding on to hopes from the past. But some aspects of the future look delightful.
In November, one of the caseworkers who were assigned to the Madison case told us he had the perfect child for us. She was almost 18, and about to age out of foster care. "Anastasia" came from Russia 7 years before. Tasia really wanted a family still. Because we were still working with Madison and Shelly's teams, we didn't even consider her. But by the end of January, we decided it was time to think about Tasia, the one who IS ready for a home.
Over the past almost two months now, we have been getting to know Tasia. We are really enjoying her. This week she will spend Spring Break with us, after having spent the last couple of weekends with us. She is fun to have around. We are happy to offer her a home, a family, or friendship, whatever she chooses. So far, she is choosing a future which involves us.
This doesn't mean we love Madison any less, or that we want her back any less, but we are hoping to eventually have both girls in our lives. Shelly I guess will have to wait awhile, and it sounds like that is just what her team wants to do.
So the question may come up, why are we driven to adopt? Like many families who feel these urges, there is purpose in them. These children who have had to struggle far more than most of us, still need that love and support to guide them through their lives. They need a place to come back to for holidays, a place to call when they are hurting, alone, or in need of assistance. They need a family. Welcome to ours, Tasia.
