It was what seemed like a normal Sunday afternoon, a normal family car ride home from church, when my mom delivered some life-changing news to our family. At that moment in time, we had no idea just how eventful and transformative this news would be. I almost thought my mom was joking when she first said it, when she first blurted out the words "Your step-dad and I have decided to adopt." This came as a real shock to my siblings and I at first because my family is pretty close, yet we had never heard about any previous plans to adopt. I've always known my mom had a passion for helping children, and we had hosted children from Latvia, the Ukraine, and other countries over Christmas and summer vacations, but I had never heard anything about adoption. She went on to explain how she had been looking into adoption for a while, but that it was a long and complicated process, and she and my step-dad had just recently been cleared to continue the process.
My sister and I were still hesitant about the idea for a while. Of course, we wanted to be supportive, and of course we wanted to help children in need, but we had so many questions. Who was this little boy? What kind of care would he need? What were the financial obligations? How would this affect our family dynamic? After all, this was a huge decision that would impact all of us for the rest of our lives.
My mom did her best to explain everything and to answer all of our questions, but she knew it would take patience and time for us all to wind up on the same page. After months of discussion and a few unforeseen changes in plan, she arrived home with my new four-year-old brother, Bogdan, soon to be Brayden.
Through everything, I am so thankful for my mom's vision. Her huge heart and passion for helping others brought my family the sweetest, most loving little brother anyone could imagine. Brayden lights up any room he walks into. He instantly makes friends with anyone he meets (including the pilot on a delayed flight) and I'm not sure what I'd do without his warm hugs and contagious smile. I love watching him learn and grow each day into someone I am so proud to call my brother.
If you're interested in learning more about Brayden's story, I encourage you to read my mom's article, "A Son Who Almost Wasn't."
http://www.rainbowkids.com/adoption-stories/a-son-...
