Adoption is a wonderful gift for any child. Adoption creates an atmosphere of stability and normalcy. There isn't a worse feeling on earth then to feel that your not apart of a family. It hurts to constantly be standing on the sideline looking in on a family wishing you were apart of it! To look out the window across the street and see a child playing basketball with his/her parents or watching their parents push them on a swing at the park. How I longed to be apart of a family and a place to call home. How I wanted to wake up and know that I was home forever instead of fearing the possibility of being moved into a new foster home.

After being placed into multiple foster homes over 3 years, I finally got my chance at being adopted. I remember the phone call from my social work stating that it was my time to be apart of a family. Realistically it could take several years to process the adoption or even find a family willing to adopt me. Within 2 months I had moved into my adopted parents home.

Hey, I got to choose my family. How many people can you say that? The adoption agency interviewed many families and matched me with my adopted parents. They were an older couple who had a couple sons finishing up college. I'm convinced to this day that my adopted mother had empty nest syndrome! After ten years, they have adopted a total of 7 children.

My mother and father are saints. They have taken on more then their share of struggles. My parents pursued foster care for a while as well. We housed children with special needs and severe behavioral problems. We kept kids that other foster homes rejected due to behavior issues. Most of the kids we helped were on some medication from depression to ADHD. I gained a lot of patience watching my mom take care of the family as a whole. She had a way of including the foster children and making them feel apart of the family. She truly cared about their futures and wanted to stress the importance of making something of themselves as they got older.

My mom is the most patient person a live. She is slow to anger but quick to help others. My dad is very smart and believes that education is very important. He injected his knowledge and support with regards to education all of my life. Being a survivor of childhood abuse, the first thing my dad said when I walked in their door the first time was "I promise that I will never lay a hand on you." To this day, I have remembered that speech from my father. He kept his word and that meant a lot to me. With my past with abuse, it took me 2 years before I was able to give my adopted father a hug.

My parents dedication to family is phenomenal. My parents have always put their family first even before their careers. My mother retired early so she could spend more time at home taking care of younger siblings who have special needs. If there is one thing that I've learned from my parents is family always comes first.

Learn more about this author, Lori Salsgiver.
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