Sending Them Home

"I don't know how you can give them back."

The most frequent comment/question we get.

"You fall in love with them and then you have to let them go."

Where does one go from there.

"I could never do that."

Kind of a dead end.

We have had sixteen kids come through our doors over the last nine and a half years.

Five stayed.

Eleven went home or moved on.

No, it wasn't easy.

But here is what we've learned:

• How to grieve. A good counselor can be really helpful.
• About vicarious trauma. Sharing in the pain isn't easy.
• God has a plan.
• It's a gift to be part of God's plan.
• Being part of someone's journey is a blessing.
• 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 years, we DID make a difference.
• Following God's call is hard but to NOT follow is harder.

We do grieve. Change is hard. Good change is hard. We are not supposed to talk about cases but the fact is that one day we have a kid and then the next we don't, and it is kind of obvious.

We gathered as a family and said a special prayer over the baby at church on Sunday.

We all went together to drop her off at home. That good counselor helped us learn many years ago how to give our other kids closure. Everyone has a visual about where the kids are that we have sent home. They know all the parties involved. We have as much closure as possible.

This time it is a little different because our families will remain tied forever by biology. The baby is Trey and Micah's sister and there are other siblings that they deserve to know as they grow up.

Siblings in care and their relationships have taken on a new meaning for me over the past year. It will become a point of advocation for me in the future.

Precious, precious memories.

The best part?

Birthmom is open to how God is working in her life.

Hallelujah!



Bye for now but not forever.

We love you Baby R.