Jake Says...

Jake Says

Yes I'm adopted
My folks were not blessed
With me in the usual way.
But they picked me.
They chose me
From all the rest,
Which is lots more than
Most kids can say.

Shel Silverstein

I just had this poem created into a graphic I will hang in the kids rooms and had the proof sent to me today. In the version I'll print the "they picked me" and "from all the rest" is in bold and wow did that ring true.

I met a coworker for coffee today who I heard had foster kids. About 15 minutes into our conversation I learned that she and her husband played a MAJOR role in us ending up with the kids we did. See we had submitted our home study (along with hundreds of others I'm sure) to be selected as Foster Parents for the kids. It was a rare a chance at a sibling set which are so young come along with a case that looks like it will end in adoption. We heard a few days later than someone else had been selected. Bummer, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. There was a family meeting that took place between the couple who was selected and everyone else who was already involved in the case. When they had that meeting it was discovered there were some things incorrect in the paperwork and that couple decided this was not the match they hoped it would be. After a difficult decision and some tears for them they decided to withdraw from the case.

Just after that meeting at 3:30 I got a call and was asked "Are you still interested? Great, they need to be picked up by 6:00 PM.". The woman I met today was that other family who had been selected. Essentially her choice is what granted us the family we have. The kids were considered "high in demand" because of age and other things in their case, it made them prime candidates for hopeful adoptive families.

When I learned her role in this I couldn't hold back tears. My heart was jumping out of my chest. I wanted to jump up and hug her and at the same time ask "do you know what you missed out on?!". As she said, everything ended up as it should have. She is currently close to adoption with two boys who are out of the age range we wanted. She was just as eager to ask how the kids are doing. She had told me she thought of them often and wondered what happened to them.

I know exactly what she was feeling since I often wonder about kids profiles we saw come through as well. You hope the best for all of them but the chances of ever knowing what happened to them are slim to none. It's incredible our paths crossed. Had I not recently changed jobs, I doubt they ever would.

I'm notorious for having these types of small world moments. It's amazing and scary because now we have some people in our lives who we're hesitant to randomly reconnect with. I'm just looking forward to see who else God brings into my life and why.