Adoption Day

I was just looking at a slide show of all of us in the court room on T's adoption day. Sometimes pictures can reveal what you couldn't see with your own eyes. We were all so happy, that was obvious, but the thing I hadn't noticed was how confident our young son was. On the day I first met him, he was shy and withdrawn. He was so skinny he was almost emaciated. He didn't say much and he seemed to be a bit afraid of us. All things you could probably say about a two year old meeting strangers for the first time. Except T wasn't two, he was eleven. Everything about his life up to that point had stripped him of his innocence, his dignity, his heart. He was a shell of a kid. Truth be known, we had very little to do with T's transformation. All we did was love him as our own child and do the best we could. It wasn't hard but it wasn't always easy either. Somewhere along the way, as T figures out how to be a son and I figure out how to be a mom, we discovered that we are actually quite good together. I think about how he used to be and about how far he has come in just 8 short months. He isn't afraid anymore. He seems to know who he is and has some idea of who he'd like to be. He talks to strangers with a full voice and often looks them in the eye as he speaks. In those photos of him on adoption day, he was happy and bright faced. He even winked at the photographer as a picture was taken. There are pictures of us all laughing and goofing around, pictures of us genuinely in love with each other, us as a family. For anyone who thinks that it isn't possible to love a child who is older, with baggage most semi trucks couldn't carry, these photos of T's special day are visual proof that those people are wrong. T is blossoming into a young man who is loving and thoughtful and funny. He is charming and handsome beyond what I thought possible. He has eyes that see right through you and a smile that can change the course of your day. He can laugh and giggle and be silly with the best of them. When he wants to, he can show you the depth of his intelligence and the things of his heart. I am so proud to call him my son and to be called his mom. I love you T.