The Gift of Hope

2011 is winding down and it has been a life altering year. We changed the course of where we were going.  For some time, we had been stuck in a rut and feeling exhausted about life not turning out exactly as planned.  You probably would never know that about me from looking at me; I would keep my heavy heart under wraps. At the end of last year, we set in motion the steps for us to have a child.  We told our family and close friends that we had decided to adopt.  We left our little Village apartment after 15 years and moved into a space and neighborhood that would be better suited to begin our family.  We put in place a financial plan to save enough to start the adoption process.  In May, we began the home study process with Bethany Christian Services.  It has been a year of examining who we are, what we want out of life and our faith in God.  If someone told me a year ago this would be my life, I probably would not have believed them.  We've made new friends and reconnected with old ones.  People that I would never expected have reached out to support us, encourage us and pray for us.  Words cannot express the gratitude that I feel for each and every one of you.  It feels like I have been swimming against the tide but I made it.  And I could not have done it without you.

As 2012 quickly approaches, I am filled with hope. Hope that I will start swimming with the tide instead of against it.  Hope that the waiting for a baby will not daunt me. Hope that we will be able to save enough for when the time comes to bring our baby home. Hope that we will continue with good health, good jobs and good family and friends.

I received a wonderful gift and gesture from a friend this year. A really cool bracelet in a hope bag. But it wasn't just a really cool bracelet in a hope bag, it was a message to me that she wishes for me to have hope in the new year. That she understand what I want in my life and supports me 100%. That gesture is priceless and I thank her for that.

The really cool bracelet is from Noonday Collection. Noonday is a company that was born from the desire to adopt a child from Rwanda. The company now provides jobs for women to sell fair-trade locally made goods to create a pathway out of poverty. They also provide adoptive families a way to raise funds with trunk shows, something that I will be looking into.  A company that supports artisans from all over the world, advocates for women and children and helps families raise funds for adoption is pretty awesome in my book.

So my wish for you in 2012 is hope.  Hope for a good life.  Hope for a Happy New Year!