As I get ready for the concert today, I'm considering all the people who have contributed in some way and are deserving of recognition. One group in particular has been incredibly supportive from the moment they heard about our adoption adventure. Our parents never flinched for a second when we told them about Hugo. They were completely accepting and fell in love with him just like we did.
As I considered our parents, I realized that there are examples of adoption on both sides of our family. These are things that I've known but never really considered. As I've said before, we only got serious about adoption less than a year ago and it never occurred to me to talk to our parents about their experiences. Rather, we chose to talk to people of our generation whose adoptive experiences were more fresh. Granted, neither of our parents' situations were anything like ours.
Rebekah's parents never adopted a child. The connection to adoption on her side comes from the fact that her mom, Danni Mencer, was an adopted child. When she was born, her mother was not able to care for her and she was adopted by her grandmother. Throughout her childhood, she maintained a relationship with her mother but lived with her grandmother in Allentown, PA. They visited her mom in Ohio throughout the year and maintained a relationship until her mom passed away a few years ago. In adoption lingo, that would classify as an open adoption and Danni experienced the unusual situation of having a biological mom who was also her legal sister.
When I was seven years old, my mom married my stepfather, Bob, and I inherited four step siblings. Kimberly was one of my stepsisters and she tragically passed away at age 31. She was an amazing woman who served in the Army Reserve, worked so hard, and loved the Lord with all her heart. She sang solos in church as often as possible and I still have the tambourine she used to worship her Savior.
Kim's son Tom was in elementary school when she died. While my parents never formally adopted him, he moved in with us and they served as his guardians. I was in high school then and for the few years that I was home before I left for college, we lived in the same house as brothers. Even now, as Tom is grown and working as a police officer, it's hard to think of him as the step nephew that he technically is. We don't see each other much, but when people ask how many siblings I have, I count him as one of my brothers.
I marvel every day at what is happening in our lives and what God, by His grace, has helped us to see. It has become clear to me that adoption has a profound affect on the lives of everyone involved in the process. We have been changed as we prepare to bring Hugo into our family. Hugo will certainly be affected though he has no idea what is about to happen. And I also see that God has blessed us with the opportunity, through this concert/blog, to reach others who may have never had the chance to be affected by this adoption. He is at work and I hope He touches the lives of everyone who reads this blog and everyone who attends the concert.
God Bless You!
No comments:
Post a Comment