During National Adoption Month you’ll get to hear from some amazing people. Today’s guest post is from Tracie Loux, adoption consultant, educator and mom to 7.
I’ve had families ask me recently, and understandably so, how adoption will impact their biological children. I think that perhaps there is this fear of whether it will disrupt their sense of security, or short change them in some way. It’s funny though, I don’t remember wondering that when I was pregnant with child number three. I don’t remember thinking, “What if the boys feel short changed? What if I can’t give them all that they need? What if they feel put out or left out?”
So I wonder why we think that when it comes to adoption. Adding a child to a family is simply adding a child to a family. I’m not underestimating the difficulty that comes with adopting children who are hurt and wounded. It’s hard work. But this post is not about that. This post is about loving and growing.
This post is about children gaining siblings, learning to love in deeper ways and growing into incredible human beings.
The three beautiful people above have done just that. They opened their hearts, sacrificed personal space and quiet moments, and they have loved extravagantly. We have done our best to make sure to give each of our children quality one on one time, to respect them as individuals in the midst of a large family, and to encourage them to have personal time and experiences to follow their dreams and develop their talents.
We function as a family and love as a family, every one pitches in, not always joyfully, but we do it. It’s what families do. Families love and care for each other.
Several months ago, we were on the porch sitting with our three Oldest while the three Littles played in the backyard, and we were talking about how the Littles have changed all of our lives. I was overwhelmed with love as I heard my Olders talk about how the Littles have caused them to be better people, more capable adults, more loving, more giving, less selfish, and more qualified for adulthood and someday parenthood.
After a long talk, they shouted out to the Littles, “HEY GUYS, THANKS FOR MAKING US BETTER PEOPLE.”
And as a mom, I’d like to shout from the rooftop, “HEY NICK, TAYLOR, AND ISABELLE, thanks for loving well, giving big, and making ME a better person!”
Tracie is an adoption educator and consultant. She is the mother to 7 incredible children: 3 by birth and 4 through adoption. Their children are Nicholas (19), Taylor (15), Isabelle (13), Aiden (5), Emma (4), Elia (4), and Matthias (born 10/20/10) Elia was adopted her in the United States and has been with us since birth, March ’07. Aiden and Emma were born in Ukraine and became our children officially on March 6, 2009. Matthias was adopted domestically.
www.christianadoptionconsultants.com
www.thespiritofadoption.wordpress.com
Family Blog: www.tracieloux.wordpress.com