It’s National Adoption Month and you may have noticed all of the adoption related posts going around on social media. Well, today is National Adoption Day! To help raise awareness I wanted to share a letter with you that I recently wrote to our son. It’s very personal but I hope it shows you the heart behind adoption and how love makes a family. Our son gave me permission to share this. Thank you for letting me continually share my heart and our journey with you all. Adoption changes lives. 

(Photo credits: @JackRobertPhotography)

Josiah,

When I think about you sweet boy I think about how you’ve always scrunched up your nose when you laugh. You’ve done this ever since you were a baby. It’s crazy to think you have been in our care since the two days after you were born. I remember sleeping on the hospital waiting room floor feeling restless and ready to meet you. 

We prayed for you. We dreamed about what you would look like. We wondered if you would carry your birth mother’s look or if you would have dark skin like your birth father. We thought about you all the time. 

And then the day came. The time came. We picked up your birth mother for your birth, we waited hours to meet you and then came the moment we had waited for. We anxiously walked down the hospital hall and peeked into the window and saw you. I clenched your dad’s hand. I looked into his eyes, knelt my head into his chest and sobbed. You were are son before that moment, but in that moment we saw our son for the first time. We saw you sweet boy; tossing and turning while the nurse cared for you. 

” Was this for real?” we thought to ourselves. Were you really going to come into our home? Your birth mother still had time to make a decision. And I say this cautiously and carefully, she wanted what was best. We watched her make a decision that was so difficult. We saw her wrestle with this decision physically and emotionally. We wil never take the place of your birth parents Josiah. They will and always will be your biological parents.

We are so thankful to be your parents. Makai loves you immensely. Our family is a family son, because you are in it. What would we do without your booty-shaking, prank-playing, bubble-loving, joyful self? I’m not sure. No one can replace you. You are embedded into this family. 

Our biggest privilege on this earth has been to raise you and your brother. And we will continue to do so with dedication and determination.  I pray we always point you to Jesus. I pray you learn from our mistakes and you will know how important your story is. It’s ongoing and you are so special sweet boy. 

You are so loved by so many! Josiah you were named after the last great King of Israel. Your name means Healed by Yahweh; Jehovah. It also means the fire of the Lord. I pray you will burn with passion, with fire for the Lord. We want you to know full well you are tenacious, healed, loved and you can overcome anything!

I am so excited to watch you grow more and more every day. What a joy it is, what a privilege it is to be your mom. 

I love you. 

Love, 
Mom