And trust me, they need them. So do I.
Adoption and fostering are beautiful in every sense of the word. But they are also hard. And messy. And lonely.
Did I mention lonely?
Friends, family and neighbors welcome your child home, shower you with gifts and then close the door and walk back into a seemingly fairy-tale world to you, never knowing what is really going on behind those doors behind them. It is not a fairy-tale, trust me.
For that very reason I was thrilled to be able to be a part of the launch team for the book Navigating the Explosion- You are not Alone, written by Allison Schumm, mom of 14. The synopsis- This book takes the adoptive Mother through the adoption process and life afterwards with encouraging letters from mom's who have been there.And that is just what an adoptive or foster mom needs- reassurance that someone else has been there, done that and UNDERSTANDS! That they are not alone.
Through 6 chapters and a series of letters from fellow adoptive and foster moms, Allison takes you on a journey of what adoption and fostering looks like through the eyes of moms that HAVE indeed been there and done that. Though every story may differ from yours or someone you know, they do give a glimpse into the sometimes very lonely world of adoption and fostering. Luckily they also show the joy and hope that can be found.
Chapters include-
- The Call
- The Wait
- The Honeymoon
- The Groove
- The Future
- The Others
Let me just warn you- grab a tissue. While you are up, just go on and grab the box. You will need it.
Maybe it is just because I have walked that path, or maybe it is just that my heart is so sensitive to the warriors who have been called by God to foster and adopt, but I shed many tears on the pages while reading. I nodded my head, whispered amen and breathed a sigh a relief that I was not the only one that felt that or said that or thought that. It was like sitting down to tea with a friend who just understood my heart without me saying a word and it felt good. For me, who is 5 years post adoption (and a messy 17 month process at that) it was healing.
I needed to be healed.
I know many who do.
And so I thank and praise Allison for seeing the need and filling it by writing this precious book.
Even if you are not on the adoption and fostering road but know someone who is, I encourage to read Navigating the Explosion- You are not Alone. I have no doubt that you will come away with a better understanding of your friend in the trenches and it will make you a better friend.
What we do not understand, we so often blow off as trivial or untrue. Allow these letters to show you that neither are true. There are mommas out there in the fight of their lives for the hearts and souls of the lost and hurt and forgotten. There are mommas out there that need a hug and a smile after their child tells them they hate them. There are mommas out there that need a break from the action after a terror induced tantrum happens.
Luckily, there are mommas out there that understand. Will you be one of them?
Thank you Allison for your love of children and their mommas in the storm. Thank you for this book.
You have won my heart and deepest respect!
Blessings,
You can buy a copy of Navigating The Explosion- You are Not Alone on Allison's Etsy site for $4.99!
You can connect with Allison here-
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