Wishing on a Star...

"The mother, heavy with child, gazed up into the sky, just in time to catch a falling star. She closed her eyes and wished that child a better life than she herself could give. The same star prompted another wish, this time from a couple that had hoped, dreamed and now wished for a child such as hers. Thank you for making wishes come true.

This handmade drawing from one of our birth mothers is framed and hangs on a wall at A Chosen Child as a constant reminder to each of us about the nature of the work we do and those we serve each day and that all of it -- each step on that long road home -- begins with a wish.
The wish of a parent with empty arms, the wish that things might be different, the wish of a life without the large spectre of infertility looming over every aspect of every day... ...the wish for a child to love. Then we have the wish of a pregnant mother in distress, wishing for a solution, a wish sometimes laden with fear, loneliness and desperation. A wish for different circumstances, a committed partner, a better job, a wish for a safe place to live where a baby that is loved could thrive and grow... ...a better life for her child. And so, a bittersweet journey begins that will fulfill each wish in very particular ways.
On Wednesday, a family working with A Chosen Child was selected for placement by the birth parents - a frequent occurrence at our office, but somehow, this situation uniquely embodied the fulfillment of a wish. These birth parents are married and are facing challenges that go beyond anything we know and they seem committed to finding the perfect home for their baby. They had the opportunity to view a profile of a family that has been waiting quite a while and they both told us that they knew that this family was "the one" the minute they looked at their pictures and read their letter. The birth parents were so moved by them that they had tears in their eyes and they wanted the family to know that they would be honored to have them adopt their child. Words cannot express the profound impact of this moment, and we never cease to be astonished as the birth parents and adoptive family come together in a catclysm of light, faith, love, hope, respect and commitment.
In my mind's eye, I can see every adoptive parent, whose wishes are born of hope and faith, and hearts so large and accomodating that extend loving arms towards the child of another to love and raise as their own. It is a wish filled with possiblities, excitement and longing. For the birth parents, I see faces turned up to the night sky, seeking more than they can give for the child they carry -- a loving, stable home with all the things they would give if they could. These wishes are filled with sacrifice, grace and dignity.
For both, something tells them to send those wishes upward...up, up and up, until they reach that place where two special wishes and one star meet and its nothing short of a miracle and we are so blessed to be a part of it each day.
In the amazing world of adoption, and for those that navigate within it, wishing on a star within the infinite sky is just the thing to do.

Blessings and blessings.
M