Just Two Sisters

Charity and Joy watching Mother Goose Club.

I snapped this photo because I knew I wanted to capture the moment. It's of my daughters watching an episode of, "Mother Goose." It's a cute nursery rhyme show that sings different songs. The two girls sitting on the bed are only 9 months apart in age, but developmentally are several years apart. This show is geared toward younger kids, and the older one would never choose to watch it on her own. But she's sitting with her arm around her sister singing along because her sister loves the show, and she loves her sister.

I'm often asked how adoption affects my biological children. To be honest this question used to catch me off guard. In my home there isn't a distinction between which children are adopted and which are biological. We celebrate adoption days because it's a reason for joy in our house, and who doesn't love an excuse for cake. But I don't consciously categorize my children by whether or not I gave birth to them. I just have a house full of kids, and they are all siblings to each other.

After being asked the question so many times, I think I understand better where people are coming from. They wonder about behaviors, disrupting birth order, and how their family will change. I think people are afraid. I get that.

The truth is my family has faced challenging times and situations that would not have existed for us if we never followed the fostering and adoption path. My life would be simpler if I hadn't chosen to walk this path. As a result, their lives would be simpler.

But their hearts wouldn't be as beautiful. In a world of HGTV where families believe each child needs their own room to be happy, my six year old daughter offered to share her bed so we could adopt another child. In a society where so much emphasis is placed on possessions, instead of fighting over toys, my boys argue with my girls about how we need to adopt more boys to make things even.

Their eyes have been opened to the hurting world in which they live. They understand the reality of children who need a family.

Yes, fostering and adopting has affected them. It's caused them to be kind, compassionate, brave, and selfless people.

Abby