Today is the 7th anniversary of the day I met my son Michael in an orphanage in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan. He has only been my son for 7 years [as of April 3rd] but it feels like he has been mine for his entire life. He is the light of my life.
above, eating at the Bliny cafe on trip one / below, the kids in his group, the day I went to take him home, each child holding a small gift bag
The most remarkable thing to me about the past 7 years is that Michael has fit so seamlessly into our family. He is a perfectly normal boy, and yet he has qualities that are rare in 17 year old boys. He is mature and reasonable. He is a deep thinker. He sees the world with the perspective of a much older person than his biological age.
If someone had told me ten years ago that I would be adopting a limb difference 10 year old from Kazakhstan, I would've thought that was just goofy. I was barely familiar with the fact there was a country in the world named "Kazakhstan." I had no friends raising disabled kids. Yet, God knew exactly the right boy for our family.
One final thought... I never envisioned being a single mom until the day I met my daughter. However, it's not so bad. I have great friends and family, lots of support. If I had the money, I'd adopt more kids. There are other "Michaels" out there in orphanages or in foster care. My prayer is that one day all of them will find a home.