Today has been an exciting day in adoption world for Mitch and I. At about 12:30 this afternoon I got a call from Laurie (our adoptive family specialist) at American Adoptions. Answering the phone in a flash I was surprised to see the number come up. She told me that there is a birth mother in KANSAS that is trying to make a decision about a family for her baby that is due any day. She wanted to ask us a few questions and from what I gathered we are one of two options. Her questions were what are some of the goals and dreams we have for a child and what do you think is more important for a child success or trying your hardest. I told Laurie I would get them answered and back to her within the hour and went straight to work. I called Mitch with the exciting news and we both agreed that we need to keep our heads on straight because nothing is set in stone EVER, and we want the birth mother to chose the family that she feels the most comfortable with, be that us or not. Below is the answer to our questions. Talk about a tough one to answer, especially when it might lead to the deciding factor. And breathe in...breathe out. So on my way home I keep thinking how amazing this would be and praying that God give both us and the birth mother strength in this difficult time. What a decision to make. Considering we have only been in the pool for a month on Wednesday makes this even more of a rush. Trying to keep a level head is tough, but we shall persevere. I just hope that we hear something back soon or I might go crazy. Up in the air, Ali
1. What are some of your goals and dreams for a child?
Some of the goals that we have for our child include an understanding that knowledge is power and gaining that knowledge is important. We know that so much learning is gained outside of just the traditional classroom and hope to give them many opportunities to build that knowledge base. We hope that they learn from our example, as well as our friends and family that being a kind, considerate, loving, respectful individual is key to being happy and fulfilled and accepting other’s differences is part of what makes us all unique. Through experiences like travel we hope to be able to expand the cultural views to which our child is exposed throughout their life. With this exposure to other cultures and adventures both in and out of doors, we hope that our child is excited to explore the world around them and not be afraid to ask the who, what, where, when and why. A well rounded person also needs to understand the value of a job well done. This is very present in our lives and we hope to instill this is our children. Finding that passion and working towards a common goal is important and we hope that our child is able to harness that passion whether it be baseball, painting, singing, or scuba diving :-). We can’t wait to see the person that they will become and help in building such a great character!
2. What is more important the child succeeding or trying their hardest?
We believe that in doing their best a child can feel success even if it is not what is “measured” as success to all. A ribbon at the end of the race is not always as important as knowing that you tried your hardest and did your best. We feel that so much is learned during the journey, and sometimes, the struggle, that the end result is not always the most important piece. As parents we will be a support system for our child, teaching them the value of hard work and guiding them on the path towards success. However, we understand though that sometimes we will have to stand back, no matter how hard that may be, and let them make their own decisions which may or may not produce the success they had hoped for. Again though, we feel success is many times found in the journey, not always at the finish line.
