I obviously took a week off from posting a blog. My extended family spent a week at the Texas coast. It has become somewhat of a tradition on how to spend our Thanksgivings. I tend to do my best to disconnect from all that I am working on whenever I take a vacation like this. It usually helps me to clear my mind.
Last year our son went with us. But, what a difference a year makes. One year ago, he was simply our foster son. We were not even sure that he would still be with us for Thanksgiving. I for sure thought that he would be back with his family by Christmas.
I could tell that my family was carefully guarding their hearts last year. No one wanted to get too attached to him.
That is a challenge of fostering. It not only effects your nuclear family, but also your extended family. Some jump in with their whole heart, but most do not.
Last year during the holidays, I felt at times that I was just playing house. Because he had been with us at the time for nearly 6 months, I felt like I was his father. But, I knew that I was not.
But this year was completely different. Now that he was our adopted son, I knew that I was not playing house. I truly was his father. In fact, we received his new birth certificate in the mail right before we left town.
Now, instead of wondering if our time together was going to be my last memory of him, I knew that we were creating new memories that we could reflect back on as a family in the years to come.
So, our Thanksgiving break is over, but not our thankful hearts.
I will share more about my work on developing an online platform in my next blog.
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