Pad Thai (Thailand)

"Is it your wish to form and maintain the relationship of mother and son with this child, Sukris John?"
This was the questions posed to me this morning during our family's fifteen minute slot at district juvenile court. What a privilege it was for me to answer through tears in a shaky, yet resounding voice,"Yes!"

The question itself actually took me off guard. The judge had been asking basic things like our names, birth dates, and address. Even as she asked these questions, I was straightening Suki's sweater, redirecting his little hands from the microphone and surreptitiously sliding a copy of The Hungry Caterpillar into his reach. The relationship was in motion right before her eyes. But when she asked THE question, the reality of a million choices in a million moments over the last three years settled into place, and I felt such honor to accept what so many may take for granted.

And then it was done. After years of forms, letters, notorizations, background check after bank check after double check, there is now a birth certificate, a name change and citizenship. With only a few final loose ends (and undoubtedly, more bank checks), we were back to business as usual by 10:23 with day care, story time, Halloween treats, and laundry.

Of course we celebrated tonight with Thai food, Pad Thai, Mango Pad, Chicken Satay and more, ordered in from a local restaurant, eaten at the kitchen counter as we recounted the day, wiped up spills, and thought about what to pack for lunches tomorrow because parenting is every moment of the day, making a million choices to keep moving forward to meet the needs of your kids with love.

When we started our journey to become parents through adoption over six years ago, I never in my naivete imagined the depths of joy, tragedy, love, and grief that I would encounter along the way. If I were to be asked if I would do it all again, it would be a privilege for me to answer, maybe through tears or in a shaky, yet always resounding voice, "Yes!"