J has been part of our family for five years as of yesterday. For five years now, we’ve been a five-person family.
Some days, it seems like we’ve always been this way. Sometimes it seems like hardly any time has passed at all.
We’ve had joy, we’ve had heartbreak, we’ve had laughter, we’ve had violence, we’ve had encouragement, we’ve had insults.
And we’re still together. One family. Sometimes sticking with it is all you can handle.
Sometimes, sticking with it is the most important thing.
A few brief reflections on five years together:
- This thing – adopting a teenager – is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
- Our lives are richer now than they used to be.
- Adoption has brought both unanticipated costs and unanticipated benefits.
Want to check out the beginning of this journey? My first five-person family post is here. Other specifically adoption related posts are tagged “adoption.”
And hey, if you’re in the middle of an adoption and need a bit of encouragement (or respite if you’re local), please get in touch. We’ve made it to a place where we have a bit of margin, and we’d love to help. My email is rlshoff@pencilprincessworkshop.com.