So, I don’t know if I have any intentions of ever sharing
this with anyone but I want my story to be down. I want something that I can
look back at, something I can reread to remember and to see how God moved on
this journey.
So, I’m starting at the beginning, a very good place to
start (sorry I love the sound of music). So, I can’t tell you the moment or the
year but it was early in my life, probably junior high age. I remember thinking
that I never could see myself actually having children but would rather have a
multi-cultural, multi-racial family. I think the structure was something along
the lines of one African, one Chinese, one Russian (or some other fair skinned
country) and then one from South America. I didn’t like the idea of 4 kids but
I liked the idea of them being so different and them all being mine.
Of course, marriage and a husband were in this vision. A
steady job (that wasn't teaching). A gorgeous house. Probably a pool. And this beautiful family would
live happily ever after. Lol yep let’s take a step away to admire how
absolutely delusional I was. But it was a happy thought.
Let’s forward a bit. I graduated high school, went on to
college where I had full intentions of doing something with my life, anything
with my life other than teaching! God said ha ha good joke Christi. And yes I
graduated with a degree in education. 2 years after graduating college to
solidify my “I will never be a teacher”, I got my Master’s in education. Well
my occupation has been decided (with much kicking and screaming) but I do LOVE
teaching 7th grade math (well played God, well played) but what
about the rest of my beautiful vision.
Steady Job- check
Multi-racial family - . . . .
Husband . . . .
Beautiful house . . .
Pool . . . .
So, the husband and marriage never came. And in my
closemindedness I assumed that meant that a family was out for me as well. I
mean how was I supposed to get the family without the husband? And yes I know you can have a kid without a husband but that wasn't how I wanted to do it. Besides I still wasn't feeling the whole baby thing.
So, in 2013 there were some personal things happening in my
life that got me thinking about fostering. To be clear adoption was still not
an option in my mind until I had a husband. So, in a spur of the moment thing I
went to a foster care/adoption information meeting. This was August 2013 I
believe. I went thinking it was where I could get information about it, but
nope it was a sign-up class. So, I figured what the heck I can back out later
if I want.
To clarify I had NOT done a lick of research. I hadn’t done
any questioning of those that went through it and to be honest I knew NO ONE
that was a foster parent or had done a stateside adoption. I look back and
think that I am pretty sure God was protecting me because if I had done
research or seeked out others I would have ran for the hills.
After my August meeting, I got signed up for October PRIDE
training classes. PRIDE classes are the foster care and adoption classes that
are required. Finished classes in December, submitted all of my paperwork and all
of my inspections by January. Home study was March or April. And was told in
August that I had gotten licensed in May. And still my head was spinning. Everything happened so fast I didn't have a chance to stop and back out. I didn't have a chance to freak my self out.
I can definitely see Gods hand in all of it. Through this part of the process I felt quite calm. Can't wait to continue documenting this journey.
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