What A Day! from Cayela Moody
What a day! I have been on the phone, fielding e-mails, interviewing. Finally, at three, I sat on the couch with all my babies and watched a movie. Because I didn’t want to think about foster care for a moment.
I have spent the week talking with news outlets about reunification as the primary goal and finding ways to support biological families. How much we need caring and compassionate families to love on these children. I said everyone has a role, that we can’t turn a blind eye anymore. I agreed that it is a broken system, but that is even more a reason to rise up and protect these amazing, vulnerable children.
And every time a new story came out, it was the same: Baby gets adopted after 700 days in foster care.
The reality is, this isn’t a fairy tale. I am beyond grateful Isla is here and so loved and very safe. But, adoption is messy. There will always be questions I can’t answer. There were some paths in this journey that still keep me up at night. I think of Isla’s first mama all the time and will tell Isla when she asks someday that her mama loved her so much.
And in our very broken world and in this messy, broken system, still beauty resides. I see it every moment of the day. Every time I look at all these children in my home.
And every day, Evan walks up with Isla or our other foster baby in his arms and he says something like, “Look at this. Have you ever seen anything so precious? Did you ever imagine we would be so blessed with these amazing babies.” He exudes fatherly pride. Everyday this has happened for two years. It never gets old.
We aren’t the story. The happy ending isn’t the story. You have been the story. Every prayer, every card, every casserole, every coffee delivery. When you asked me if I was okay and I collapsed in your arms. When you came to court. When you called. When you babysat and arranged nights out for us. When you included our children from the foster system in the Christmas exchange, just like all the other cousins. When you proudly framed them in your family photos. When you loved us beyond anything we ever felt we deserved. That is the story here.
Thank you. To our family, Fostering Hope, and our churches Fruit Cove Baptist Church and Refuge Church, FBCH + One More Child, and all our friends.
I am sharing the story from CBS today, which really highlighted our community. We are grateful to Good Morning America and the other news outlets that shared our story today as well.
There is a foster child who needs you. Maybe it is a gift, maybe it is a mentor, maybe it is a meal, or maybe it is a home. But, you have a role somewhere. We all do.
-Cayela Moody
Link to video below ?
