Happy National Adoption Awareness Month! My sister, Rebekah Rodgers, was adopted after my family lost my two other sisters. One died after a stint in the hospital and the other was stillborn. As heart breaking as that was for my parents, it did lead to us adopting my sister.
Every once in a while as a child she and I would be fighting and I would bring up the fact that she was adopted. Her response was always, “Mom and dad chose me, they were stuck with you!”
But in reality, she is just my sister to me. I rarely thought of her as adopted, and never gave her the label “my adopted sister.” She’s just my sister.
I am aware that this month in particular focuses on the adoption of children currently in foster care. While my sister didn’t have that experience, tons of kids do.
Shout out to my friend Ellis McCurtain who now has a huge family thanks to adopting kids that were in foster care. Ellis and his wife do their part daily by simply being parents now.
And shout out to my friend Keith Howard who not only does his part in his family, but does his part to change the situation on a state-wide level by being the CEO of Oklahoma United Methodist Circle of Care. I enjoyed getting to know their story better in October when Keith spoke at a luncheon put on by OKPSA – Oklahoma Professional Sales Association.
So big props to all the parents who have adopted kids that were formerly in foster care! And thanks to my parents, Doug and Deanna, who adopted my sister.