Sue's Story

We've been thankful this month to have adoptive parents share their family stories and personal perspectives with us for National Adoption Month. Here's another family story for our "30 Days of Adoption" series!

Sue's Story

"I’ve always wanted to be a parent, but as a single, 35-year-old woman, I wasn’t sure how best to go about it.  Luckily, someone mentioned foster parenting and it stuck with me.  It was a long road through the licensing and training process, but God nudged me along the way a couple of times.  I’ve been fostering for 8+ years now and have seen many kids come and go. 

It’s funny, because after a few years, I had decided not to take any more girls (too much drama).  But then Iowa KidsNet called, and I felt a strong nudge to at least meet this little five-year-old girl.  When we met, she was shy, but sweet, and we just clicked.  She moved in a week later, and she’s been with me ever since.  We look so much alike that the kids at school accuse her of lying when she tells them she’s adopted.  I’ve even had other parents tell me she’s telling stories about being adopted and they are astonished when I tell them she truly was adopted.

She’s like me in other ways too, both a bit picky and headstrong.  But we both carry on trying, no matter what, too.  We never give up, even if something is hard.  She told me just last night that she hasn’t yet found anything she wasn’t good at.  I explained that there have been tons of things that she wasn’t good at, at first (it took her nearly a year at five to learn to ride a bike as she didn’t have the proper muscle development).  But she doesn’t give up and then she gets better at it.  It’s one of the things I love most about her. 

The process is sometimes painful, saying goodbye to kids you love is hard.  It hurts deeply.  But finding one you get to keep forever is worth everything you go through and more.  I am forever changed by it and I’m so thankful to have my beautiful daughter.  I love her more than I ever thought was possible.  She is a rare child and she was old enough to appreciate the differences in her first home life and mine.  She wrote a short autobiography paper recently for school.  In it, she says she is thankful that her parents let me adopt her.  Given their own situation, it was the best thing they could do for her.  I’m convinced God made her for me.  It just took five years and a few nudges to get us together."

- Sue

Event this evening

If you're in the Des Moines area and would still like to attend a National Adoption Month, we'll be holding our final candlelight ceremony this evening in Urbandale! Time and place here. This event raises awareness about the need for children to have permanent connections to a caring, supportive adult and the bright potential that shines in every child.