Friday, October 13, 2006

Expecting the Unexpected

I went to dig this story up for a friend today and it got me thinking--a time-consuming thing even before I decide to write it down, because as H and Baby T come closer to joining the ark forever; it seems too important to forget.

One common theme that seems to cross adoptive parents paths, particularly before their child or children are home, are questions about the unknowns.
  • Do you have any idea what happened to the parents?
  • Do you think the children are "normal"?
  • Do you think they'll have difficulty in school?
  • Do you think they'll fit in with the family?
  • Do you think...fill in the blank with any potential question?

And while these questions are ones that are worth asking when considering adoption; the author of this article this article, Melissa Wiley, points out that there are no guarantees with children-any children. Even those whom we carry for 9 (or so!) months before giving birth. And even for those children born healthy, there are no guarantees for the future.

It is truly a gift, given freely by God, to parent a child, unexpected gifts and all.

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