Four years ago today we became a legal family. I know that to many this is not a big deal, because the question of being the legal parents of their children is not something that they ever have to think about. Many people do not realize that “placement” does not mean permanent. Even after placement there are still hoops to be jumped through to prove that you should be the parent of the child in your care.
I hated being viewed as just a temporary guardian. I hated being called the “potential adoptive parent.” All I wanted to be known as was “her parent or her mother.” The time between placement and finalization seemed to take forever.
Four years ago today we sat in our home on a conference call with the courts and we promised to love and care for Madilyn for the rest of our lives. We promised to treat her as if she were our biological child and give her all the same benefits and care that we provide to Caleb. It was such a special long awaited day for our family. I viewed her as my very own child prior to this day, but it was great to finally have the legal aspects completed.
The months between placement and finalization were filled with what so many what if’s, worries, and concerns. We were praying that everything would work out and that we would not have any unexpected surprises. With just a few words from the judge the doubts and fears I had hidden in my heart vanished, and we became a LEGAL family.
Unless you have been through the adoption process you cannot even begin to imagine how it feels to hear the judge say, “You are now the legal parents of this child.” These words brought such relief to my heart and mind. I laughed, I cried, I thanked God, and I sat down and relaxed for the first time in months.
Our family is full of more love than I know what to do with. Each day brings new joy, happiness, and adventures. Today we remember and are thankful for adoption and how it helped to form our family. We are so blessed to have Madilyn as part of our lives.