GRACE’S STORY
A friend of ours who was adopted at a young age once reminded us that our daughter's story belongs to her and no one else. Adoption stories can be extraordinary in many ways, but they can also be heart-wrenching and painful for adoptees and their families. With that in mind, our intent has always been to be open, honest, and truthful with all of our children. As the years go on, we will continue to tell them more and more about their story, but it is and will always be their choice to tell it.
So this story isn't about Grace. It's about the struggle, self-doubt, and pain we experienced on our journey to meeting our eldest daughter, Grace, for the first time.
On Father's Day of 2013, we took the first step in the direction of starting our family. Those reading this who have no idea what this process involves can be confusing, stressful, and leave you questioning your decision to start in the first place. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to give up. Whether it was the bureaucracy of the foster care system or even the loss of our first daughter Emma, there were countless moments of self-doubt and grief.
After completing all of the training hours, background checks, and home visits required to become a foster family, the calls started pouring in. There is a great need for foster and adoptive families, and the pure volume of requests we received asking to care for a child temporarily was overwhelming. When we received the call for Grace, for whatever reason, we said yes. Something about her stood out to us. Less than 45 minutes after that call, directly from the hospital, she came home for the first time.
We fought hard for Grace. There were meetings with attorneys, foster care workers, and court dates. We weren't required to be present for most of the court dates, but we made it a priority to be there. We wanted the judge to see our faces, see who we were, and see how much we loved this little girl.
Our journey to becoming a family was difficult, but every second has been worth the struggle, self-doubt, and pain. And you know what? We plan on doing it again.
