Thanksgiving and the Adopted Child – Who’s really lucky?
As an adoptive parent I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard:
“She is so lucky to have you!”
“He is going to be so thankful when he realizes what kind of life you have provided for him!”
I get the message but it doesn’t quite ring true. My 7 year old doesn’t quite think she’s lucky when she has to empty the dishwasher, brush her hair and march out the door at precisely 7:30 am.
My 6 year old is thankful his mommy and daddy are around to watch him perform at school, cheer him on for a great day or kiss his boo-boos but quite frankly, not much else.
My husband and I are lucky. My parents, my in-laws, my sisters and brothers, our biological children- we are lucky. We are lucky that we were chosen to parent these amazing children. We are lucky they fit so perfectly in our family. We are thankful each and every day for the sacrifices their birth parents made for them to be with us.
Adoption is rooted in loss, unfortunately. That depth of that isn’t lost on me. My adopted children had a primal loss in order to become ours so while we are lucky they are here, the circumstances aren’t lucky. While we are thankful they are in our family, we are most thankful for those who made it possible.
This Thanksgiving, like each one before, we give thanks for our family.
