Amanda I love and admire you and your family for your endless LOVE that you have for your kids and our Brother and Sister...I hope Brenda knew and Marion knows just how much this part of the family here in KY loves you for just simply opening your hearts to two of the best siblings in the world. I know that your family was sent to Sandy and Randy for a reason and I just want to say Thanks!!!
WHO can say that about a birth family? My sister and brother have the kind of family people dream about when wanting to be their "long lost brothers and sisters". They were never really lost as my mom did keep in touch with them over the years. I have to say this and I do mean it..one of the handful of situations that impacted Scott and I to feel so strongly about keeping siblings together was my sister Sandy and brother Randy's (twins) biological siblings. I can remember them all as small children. All separated in foster care yet all truly exceptional kids. My parents, I feel largely due to my mother's poor health, did not adopt them all when they had the opportunity. I think they regretted that later, but you know it really didn't matter...it was an opportunity lost.
The siblings, who visit and keep in touch (a nice reason to be thankful for facebook), are really great people. People you would like and enjoy. They, in spite of their losses, are successful. But, the twins will never have the bonds that a family does who grows up together, love? Yes, but history? No. I hate that!
So as is with much of life I made a note of it mentally. I wrote it in heart and I have tried desperately to not allow that to be something I regret for my own children.
Not long ago at Scott's work family night Sarah and Paden were sitting beside me as Sarah pointed out a young man who graduated from High School with her. He is a great young man, a hard worker and has been working at the plant for a couple of years. Sarah said, "He and his siblings are why my parents adopt the whole family." I looked up to see him. As a young child an older woman adopted him and his younger sister and brother....another family had the older siblings and yet another family more. But all those children lived in the same town, some privileged and some underprivileged. Sarah was right, they were in my hand of impacting stories.
To me, now far removed by time from both of those situations it is not the "privilege or unprivileged" part that bothers me. It is the thought they they had family, brothers and sisters, and time has taken away the opportunity to forge life-long relationships.
Family is so very important. Family help us to be the best we can be. Family is something so many take for granted! Family IS a gift from God. That is what I want for my children, strong life-long bonds and hope of a life-time of friendship. Thus far God has blessed all my children with just that (even if some of them don't know it yet!)
Beautifully said. Family IS a gift from God. Thanks for sharing.
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