In a former life I worked as a writer and editor for a feature magazine. It had its perks and fun sides like most jobs, but a huge plus for me was working with and getting to know people in the community. I truly enjoyed hearing the different stories, learning strengths and passions, and the ability to connect people to each other as well.
Recently that life circled back around when one of my former freelance writers Meagan (who now runs a major online blog) asked me to guest write in honor of National Adoption Awareness Month. Me? Of course I was honored and accepted likely faster than I should have and before I truly thought about it. Who could say no to Meagan after all? And this was a great opportunity to continue being an advocate for foster care and adoption. What I didn't consider was what on Earth I would have to contribute to these already experienced mamas.
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There are many decisions to be made when entering the foster care system. What agency will you go with? What age group are you willing to take on? All kinds of check boxes determining what level of care you are qualified for. What experiences, illnesses, and exposures you are willing to care for in your home.
All of these are important—many nerve-wracking and require some soul searching. But my biggest hang-up to date? Paint. Yes ladies and gentlemen, paint. This is a story of a Thanksgiving past.
If you're like us, you have to split the holidays between families. Unfortunately our families are not in close proximity and it's not possible to see everyone. With the two major holidays being Thanksgiving and Christmas, we naturally began alternating years when we got married (a couple of years when we were engaged but had to really crack down after "I do"). Luckily William's family lives outside the Houston area and the day trip isn't out of the question. A couple of years ago we had planned to stay in town for the holiday but getting together just didn't work out. No worries! We thought we were going to be fancy pants and have reservations at a swanky restaurant. I was excited! (I base a lot of my experiences around food. It's a thing.) My workplace had our Thanksgiving celebration that day (tacos because who doesn't love tacos?) and it was like a switch. I started feeling ill. I went to one of our managers and told her I don't know what's going on but I'm going to be sick. Y'all. I'll spare you details but I was sick. The next day I will be darned if I was going to miss my fancy reservation. I don't remember what I ate (not much) but it was certainly not enough to justify the price tag (too much). We took our traditional selfie on the way out to commemorate the holiday. I really thought I was smiling guys. I was trying so hard! Unless you're living under a cinematic rock, you know Instant Family debuted last week. Hailed as the "family feel-good" movie of the year, it is a dramedy starring Mark Wahlberg and Rose Bryne that highlights the journey of foster adoption—inspired by the Anders' actual adoption journey. My husband and I decided to take in the film with several others from our Tapestry (a foster/adoption ministry) group and my parents.
I had read a couple of reviews ranging from "bring your tissues" to "this is terrible because the ethnic couples are not well represented." (I as a general rule don't read very many reviews before seeing any film. I like to form my own opinion.) This is more about how I felt about the film and less about the cinematic prowess of the production. Yes, there were several stereotypes dramatized for the film—it's a common practice. Here are some of the people we meet during the film:
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AuthorWriting is really my outlet, so you'll mostly see my prose on here. But William might occasionally make a guest appearance. Archives
May 2021
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