52 Ancestors – WEEK 50 – Chosen Family
By Cynthia Keefer Patton
I am the lucky, lucky mother of an adopted son. Our chosen family. When I tried for 10 years to conceive, but suffered two ectopic pregnancies, tubal repair surgery, and attempts at in-vitro, my late husband and I arrived at the conclusion that we would add to our family through adoption.
Of course we had worries. What if the child didn't love us? What if we didn't love them? What if our family didn't accept this child? Would my husband feel differently than about his two biological children?
I was young and headstrong and nothing could deter me through the process. There was a lot of paperwork, costs for healthcare for the bio mother. Legal documents, waiting, heartache, and more waiting. Part of our journey including allowing another pregnant girl to live in our home for three months as she awaited the childbirth. This kept the costs down overall for all the adoptive parents working with our private agency.
We were blessed to get to know a wonderful young woman and watch her life altering decision to give her little girl to a waiting couple. It allowed us to see all sides of the process.
I prayed on New Year's Day of 1988 that my dream to become a mother would be fulfilled that year. In anticipation and with faith I furnished a nursery and bought tiny baby clothes. I kept this close to my heart, not sharing with many others. The girl living with us gave birth in early September and not five days later after we said goodbye to her at the bus station, we got the call that our child--a baby boy--had been born.
He would have had to have been conceived late December or perhaps even New Year's Eve. God is good and there are no mistakes. My chosen family grew to include his lovely wife, my sweet grandchild, my daughter-in-law's mother, and so many more people.
PS I couldn't have loved anyone more, his father adored him, and he has been a total blessing in my life.
Thank you for sharing the story of your journey to becoming a Mum. Such a beautiful life-enriching experience for all.
ReplyDeleteI was adopted too and couldn't have been luckier with the family I got. Recently, though, I bought an ancestry genetic kit. My mother is still alive so I don't want to upset her, but I am still curious. I have something on my hand and found out this year that it is hereditary from the Vikings. Someone told me years ago that I had "Viking bones".
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