Adoption Day ~
Ashley spent many years in foster care moving from one home to another. I spent many years waiting for the State to place me with a child. On October 3, 2003 I got a phone call asking me if I would provide temporary care for a 16 year old. Never did I imagine my life would be changed forever with that call. After only 6 months of Ashley coming into my life, she asked me to become a Mother, her Mother! The joy that filled my heart that day and every day since I met her is indescribable. We officially became a family on April 28, 2004 and I proudly stood before a judge and was honored that Ashley wanted to become my daughter. Ashley and I were so scared that day, as we shared with each other how we never wanted to let the other one down. I had been through so many broken promises of being able to adopt and Ashley, well she had been through a thousand more disappointments in her life than I could have ever imagined. And there we stood, repeating after a judge saying all the right things to make us a “legal” family. As we walked out of that courtroom on that beautiful day, I’ll never forget Ashley looking to me and saying, “I will make you proud!” I responded with, “You already have, I can call you my daughter!”
We had a huge celebration that night with 100 of our friends at the Rain Forest Café and Ashley was overwhelmed by the love outpoured that day. Our friends stayed by our side everyday and continued to bring such love and support throughout the years.
I never expected that my time with Ashley would be cut so short as I thought it was only the beginning of decades to come. I remember being so scared inside as I sat alone next to her bed at Vanderbilt Hospital and they told me the end was near. I couldn’t imagine life without her as she was such a gift of God.
Before her last breath was taken, I whispered in her ear, “I want to make you proud, as proud as you made me on the day we became a family!” I love you A ~
