In foster care we often joke that nothing is official until the ink is dry. There is a lot of truth in that statement. Many times over the last seven years that we’ve been foster parents we’ve had unexpected things happen that affected us and the children in our care.
As a result, it’s hard to believe “the system”. I tend to be a very trusting person, but foster care has put me on edge, never totally confident in what will happen next.
When we were told that our little boy’s case was moving toward adoption logically we were thrilled (not to say there aren’t a lot of other emotions too…adoption is complex). As the months wore on and people would ask us what was next for our little guy, I would cautiously say, “I’m not sure, but it’s looking like he will be with us long term.”
I was always bracing myself for something to blindside me…but it didn’t. On June 13th we adopted our son and the ink is dry!!!
We started loving him when he was seven months old and his first foster family asked us to do respite for him. That one little yes led us to where we are today.
There is a lot of heartache and tragedy in his story, but this part is beautiful. It’s extra sweet because his first foster family is still in his life and so are his biological grandparents. He has a large circle of people that love and adore him and are committed to walking beside him his entire life.
There you have it…the abbreviated story of how Otis joined our family!
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