Adopting Sevyn Grace (Part 2)
This is Part 2 of “Adopting Sevyn Grace.” Care to read Part 1?
Last night (Saturday) was Gracie’s first over-night visit with us. The foster mom and her college-aged son brought Gracie to our home early in the afternoon. It was obvious leaving her with us was difficult for both of them. Her son is very fond of Sevyn and I don’t think the her foster mom has been away from her. She let us know that Gracie felt a little warm. They sat for a few minutes and then were on their way - tears welling as the walked out the door. We felt sick in our hearts.
Adoption is full of pain and loss. There is no escaping it. I’m finding it’s very easy to get self-centered. I found myself being angry with her foster mom for making us feel like bad people. I know that sounds immature and unreasonable, but this is what happens to the human heart when the rubber meets the road. It’s very easy to make predictions about how we’ll behave in certain situations. Really simple to see how everyone else can improve - the agency, the foster parents, our parents, our friends, my wife and so on. The truth is, if I’m having a hard time with something I’m partly to blame. The good news is that the same God who can forgive me can also help me. I’ve begun praying for a broader perspective.
Over the course of the evening, Gracie’s fever increased to 103.7°. We gave her some ibuprofen and put a cool cloth on her head. Her fever came down quite a bit. Jaimes and I had an event to attend that evening, which gave Kristin and Gracie some good mommy/daughter bonding time. It was good for Jaimes and I to get out together. We saw some friends, ran some errands, and just “did life” together. It didn’t feel like parenting. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
Sunday morning ushered in daylight savings. We sprung ahead today, losing an hour of sweet, sweet sleep and subsequently skipping church. Kristin ran to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for pancakes. “If you want, you can give Gracie some Cheerios to tide her over until breakfast,” she said before shutting the door behind her.
What you’re about to watch is beautifully mundane. In the midst of all the peaks and valleys, this was a moment of utter rest for me:
Both of your daughters are adorable!!
Why is it that when parenting young children, even the very mundane can be so beautiful?
By: Steve Sensenig at 6:12 am on March 10th, 2008