Thursday, September 17, 2015

Adopting at 56. Crazy?

Wow! I can't believe it was 2 years ago September 3rd! What a journey it's been! I think back to when we first started talking about adopting. People thought I was crazy! The initial reaction from people around my age was "WHY?".  I was kindly reminded that most people would be looking forward to retirement. All the things I could do! Travel! Rest and relax! Freedom to do what I want with my life after spending so much of my life raising children, working! Isn't that why we want to get to that age? To do what we want with the last remaining years? Well, maybe. The only difference between what others thought and what I thought was what I thought I wanted to do with the rest of my life didn't fit the mold.  But I never liked molds. I think there were 2 people that didn't think I was crazy. One was a woman I worked with who told me I should do what I wanted and not listen to other people that didn't agree. The other was and is my best friend who to this day understands and knows me better then any other person that walks this earth.  Soooo, after all the time it took to come to this decision, the time it took to research, find an agency, find my daughter, do all the paperwork, wait wait and wait, travel to finally meet our daughter, bring her home, get her medical attention, doctors,  surgery, tests, day after day after day of therapy.... Do I wish I were traveling, relaxing? Sometimes. Well, not really the traveling. But doesn't every parent? Regardless of age? Do I have any regrets? 110% NO!  I can't imagine doing anything else with the rest of my life. Is it hard sometimes?  Yes. But so what?  There are far more rewards. I could travel the world and never come close to the happiness I receive from raising a child. I could go on a million dollar shopping spree and what would I really have? What I have is priceless. Yes, I know that i may inot be around when she marries, has her first baby. But this can happen to any child. So even if I'm not here I will be the person that laid the groundwork to ensure she marries a man that will truly love her and treat her right if that's what she chooses. I will be the one that teaches her to love her child and be a good mom. I will be in her heart.  No one can ever take that away. So, 2 people were right when they supported me in my decision. 2 people didn't think I was crazy. I would do it again in a second.  Would I encourage other people my age ( I'm 58 now)  to follow their hearts? You betcha! Don't let age get in your way. I doubt you did it when you were 20, so why do it now?  You have so much to offer and so much to gain. And that child you could give a family? May never have one without you.

No comments:

Post a Comment