The Precious Gift

The Precious Gift 13

From the moment they laid her in my arms,

It was love at first sight.

So tiny, so still,

She laid there not making a peep.

She was so precious and strong,

For hanging on that long.

Others had come,

But none like her.

I knew at first glance

She would be mine, forever mine.

She brought joy and laughter,

And some very sleepless nights,

But all in all I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

She grew oh so fast still with no hair,

But as precious as can be.

Almost one and getting ready to walk,

She was taken from me. 

So many nights I would wonder why

And if I’ll ever be able to breathe again with her gone.

Then one day the call came in,

And she came later,

Oh the joy from miles around.

Walking and talking with still little hair to show,

She made an impression on so many lives.

Once more she went,

Still not comprehending why,

She was gone like a ghost in the night,

Every night looking into her room,

Praying she was still there.

But as before she came again,

Two by now she had long, flowing, black as night hair,

Twirling round and round the princess to be,

Still it was not to last,

She left once more glad tears, but still sad.

We made the trip even though long and cold,

To her for three precious days,

For our precious girl.

Once again she came back to stay,

The situation not comprehensive to the world, but to us.

She is three now and thinks everyday is her birthday,

But as I watch her sleep,

Wondering how something so little can bring so much joy and sorrow.

I am thankful everyday for my amazing, precious gift.

          The above was the letter I wrote to myself when I was fifteen years old, it described the ups and downs of fostering in our family for our precious gift. I never would have thought ten years ago that I would be writing my story of my little sister for the world to see, let alone on a blog. I felt compelled to make our story known in order to bring awareness of the amazing and sometimes overlooked resources available to foster families in their own community. The work that is put into finding a child a forever home is a very arduous process, between the court hearings, finding the right fit into a family, and making sure all the child's needs are met, no person or family can do it alone. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) works on the behalf of the child to make sure they are properly taken care of and that they have a voice in the court system. Our journey of becoming a foster to adopt family was one filled with a lot of support from those closest to us, but often times children need people that are especially there for them. Stay tuned in the next coming weeks for more stories of hope and inspiration brought to you by The Precious Gift 13 team! 

- Kimberly