On January 2, 1962, I met my family for the first time. I came fully dressed, with my own silverware (a Christmas gift from my foster grandmother, apparently! We still have it, of course,) and already potty trained (a serious bonus if ever there was one!) My social worker, who was bringing me to the meeting, was running late, and ran for the elevator my family had just stepped into. My mother looked at me, and leaned over to whisper to my dad, "That's her!" Our hearts met in that moment, and somehow, in this wide world, I was already theirs, and they were already mine.
It strikes me as funny that they had to go "home" for the night, which for that night was actually my aunt and uncle's home, to think about whether or not they actually wanted to take me for keeps. (Yes, the similarily to adopting a pet is not lost on me! Haha!) Mom spent the entire night sick with anxiety that something would go wrong, and somehow, I wouldn't be theirs after all.
But the next day, January 3, they got to bring me home, not just to a house, but to their hearts, where I have been ever since. After three foster families in 16 months, I was finally where God intended me to be. I don't know the whole story of how I came to be in that place, at that time, still waiting for a family, and as far as I am concerned, I don't need to. The only thing that really matters is what my Mom has always told me - God was waiting for them to be ready, because he always meant for me to be theirs, and that was the right time and place, it all came together, and here I am.
Tomorrow is the day they officially took me home, but this is the day that our hearts met, and it is a day for me to celebrate and be thankful. I love my family. It is always good to start every year with a reminder of how truly fortunate I am. Whatever else happens in my life, I have been blessed beyond all reason to grow up an Overby.
We all have our own story, and life is full of ups and downs. But I think it is important to find the gratitude for the grace, which we have all experienced in our own ways. Whatever your story is, each day is a new opportunity for gratitude over something, and I have always found that looking for the gratitude brings the hope. Every single time.
Wishing everyone a 2023 filled with gratitude and hope.
