Where Will You Live Tomorrow?

I know where I am going to live tomorrow.  Do you?

Have you ever been in “transition” for an extended period of time? 

For thousands of children in the United States, every day is an extended period of transition and every day they cannot be certain that tomorrow they will still live in the same place. 

At some point in their past, they were ripped out of the only home that they ever knew.  Sure it was a dangerous place but it was home and they knew what to expect (well, mostly).  And since they’ve never known safety, the place they are at now seems even scarier.  (I find the unknown to be scary, too!)

To add to the terror, the court system has tried to work with their parents to bring them to a place where they can parent well and give the children a safe home.  But Mom and Dad didn’t follow the parenting plan; didn’t learn what they needed; chose alcohol, drugs, or abuse over their children; or maybe they just never showed up to try.  And now, the court has said, “You don’t belong to your mommy and daddy anymore.  Now you belong to the state.” 

And they wonder, “Will I be safe with the ‘state’?”  I wish that I had a mommy and daddy to call my own so that I could feel safe at some point in my life.  I wish I had a mommy and a daddy so that I wouldn’t have to worry about whether I still get to live with the same people tomorrow or not.

Adoption is like any parenting in that it requires hard work and intentionality.  Parenting an adopted child with a trauma past is unlike parenting a biological child because the fear that this good thing may fall apart at any moment is so intense that the hard work and intentionality are magnified.  Adoption is not about the parent and should never be entered in to in order to gratify their own desires but in order to provide for the future of the child.

It’s National Adoption Month in the United States.  There are kids all over the United States and the World who need a loving family.  Are you willing to step up and change the course of one child’s life?  Stop thinking about it and get moving.

(If you are in Colorado, I highly recommend that you check out Project 1.27 for your adoption training.)