Hands down, Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. The November holiday allows us to be with our family without the stress of gift-giving or weeks of preparation trimming the tree and decking the halls. Family is one of the greatest gifts we are given in life and Thanksgiving allows us an opportunity to say thank you for the gift of family.
National Adoption Month, celebrated each November, is the perfect reminder that every child needs a safe and loving family and every child deserves a permanent place to call home. At a recent adoption event held in Muskogee, 45 children were adopted in a single day. The Muskogee Phoenix reported that the event had a superhero theme and made shirts that said: ‘Superheroes were adopted and they turned out just fine.’ I couldn’t agree more.
For our family, the decision to adopt our twin girls Ivy and Lynette in 2013 changed all of our lives for the better. People often tell Christie and me that the twins are lucky to have us, but the truth is that we are the lucky ones. They are a blessing to us—just as our other three kids are. I truly believe they were meant to be a part of our family all along and we give thanks each and every day for all five of our kids.
Yet, I understand that the circumstances in everyone’s lives are different. Often, people think they are unable to adopt because of financial burden or other life situations. I would encourage you to reconsider because ‘with God, all things are possible.’ Where there is a will, there is a way. And God always finds a way.
This year, while you are with your family for Thanksgiving, I encourage you to consider those children without a permanent home. Right now, there are 585 children in Oklahoma in need of a forever family and another 8,314 children being cared for by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Oklahoma Fosters, foster care recruitment organization, estimates that it needs a minimum of 910 foster families this year. Your family may be missing a superhero of its own.
