I am the adopted grandma of six children whom my friends have adopted. They come from three different birth families. There's two boys and four girls, ranging in age from 8-15. It is a busy, lively household.
What impresses me most is how, in a year and a half, the four siblings who were the last adoptees have meshed into the family. It's not an easy thing to take kids into your family and teach them your values, manners, and speech. These siblings had not even lived together for four years, having been in the foster care system before adoption. Challenging does not even begin to describe the parents' task. All six of these kids have special needs in some way: physical, mental, emotional, social disabilities. When I see them now, I see what a long way they've come in learning to love one another and behave appropriately in different situations. Wow.
I enjoyed spending time with them this week while their mom was recuperating from surgery. She directed their activities while I did the walking, lifting, chores, etc. The kids were fun to be around. Of course, they had their spats and stubbornness at times, but really, what family doesn't?
In this household, God is utmost. Three of the six kids have accepted Jesus as Savior and been baptized. Books and music in the house are Christian. Discussions about behavior center around what God's view of it is. This is the glue that holds the home together.
Mom and Dad, as in most families, have too little time alone together. Maybe I can change that in the future.
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1 comment:
Good post! I realized today that I haven't seen all of them together since last summer at the beach. I imagine the dynamics have changed since then!
As for you changing Mom and Dad's time alone together, that is not your responsibility; it is theirs! You are available when they need you, and that is what matters. They (like most parents, including us) need to be the ones to initiate a date night and stick to it, etc.
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