After a discussion with Cody the other day, I was reflecting on how things have changed a lot over the years - impacting adoption and prospective adoptive parents. It has become socially acceptable to have a baby without being married and social assistance has made it possible, even appealing, to have children without a real means of supporting them. For this reason, many unsuitable parents choose to raise their child when a few decades ago, they might have given it up.
This may seem like a good thing. But it also means that kids need to be taken out of the home when they are a few years old and have emotional or physical scars. They are then placed with foster families who then deal with issues far beyond what typical families should have to.
I know several foster-to-adopt families and it astounds me the hoops they need to jump through in order to have a foster child live with them. Many have chosen this option after a long struggle with infertility. Sadly, infertile couples cannot simply adopt a child. They must go through this foster-to-adopt process which is tough on the adults AND the kids. They may have several kids come and go before they have the opportunity to actually adopt them into their family forever.
I'm thinking back on that talk with Cody. It started with him, once again, wishing he had a little sister. It breaks my heart because, of course, I would LOVE for him to have a little sister. When I explained that that's not what God has in store for our family, he asked if we could adopt a sister. If only it were that easy!
Once again, it made me grateful for having him in my life and how dear he is to me. To all the adoptive parents out there, thank you for making such a difference and loving those kids.
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