Dear Birth Mom, Fight the good fight....

Dear Birth Mom-
     I know the road you are on is tough at best. I hear that, I understand that you are facing some giants that I won't even pretend to understand. I cannot even say if given your life I wouldn't be making some of the same choices you are, the cycles of poverty, drugs, and other things are ferocious monsters at best.
     Letters are being sent to your family now, asking if any of them want to take the sweet, adventurous, wildly independent, and curious little boy of yours and mine (for at least the time being). I do not know what that must be like knowing that the courts are moving to remove your parental rights. I trust you want the best for your son as do my husband and I. We are believing the best for him. We trust him to the God who is bigger than any cycle of poverty or system you think you cannot beat.
      PLEASE for the sake of your son, fight the good fight. Go to treatment. Get a job so you can support the two of you. Find stable housing. I realize this is a lot, but no mountain is too big that it cannot be climbed. The time is now to face the summit, make it to the top of the mountain, make steps towards the right direction. Surround yourself with people who love on you, who make wise choices, who aren't going to pull you in the opposite direction. I realize you have shown up to the last couple of visits with your son, and I find that admirable, I do know it must be tough to see that he doesn't recognize you and runs to me when we return to pick him up. I cannot understand what it would be like to have my own children/child not know who I am and come to me for comfort and security. TRUST ME, it isn't too late, he's only fourteen months, hardly past a year, make some moves towards progress and the judge doesn't want to revoke your parental rights.
   The judge may seem harsh, but really has been nothing but grace filled offering you chance and chance again. The judge wants to see you succeed and wants you to have your son back, and I do too. Time, it's not on your side any more, the clock is ticking and ticking fast. Make some changes, your son is amazing and we've fallen in love and always will love him no matter where he lives.
    Our village loves him, our son and daughter adore him and returning him to you will be bitter-sweet and tears will flow. In the mean time, while we all live in a sense of limbo not knowing what the future holds for him, for you, for us, we hope, pray, and enjoy the time we do have with your son. We pray for you daily and unendingly wishing you wellness, wholeness, and the ability to get things together for your sake and your son's sake. We pray for your son, that he will continue to grow and learn and will continue to catch up on his speech. We continue to hand the situation over to God, taking things hour by hour.

Peace & Love,
   Your son's foster mom
   

Dear Birth Mom

Dear Birth Mom-
    You currently have gone missing. No one is really sure where you are. People are looking for you and we are worried about you. You were suppose to report to treatment earlier this week. There were plans to reward you with a visit with your son and return you back to treatment. I can't imagine what it's like to have missed the last six months of his life. You've missed a lot sure, but he still has SO MUCH MORE LIFE. The reality is - if you got your life back together sooner than later and took the necessary steps when he is older, he probably wouldn't even remember me or our family. He'd only know you. He deserves to know you. I want you to know him. I want him to know you.
   There is a date looming, where you need to have shown some serious signs of progress or they are going to start looking towards your extended family for permanency. The courts aren't going to let you completely shirk your responsibilities with your son. They are going to start looking for a permanent place for him if you don't start making progress. My husband and I are still rooting for you. We are on your side, while it may seem we are the enemy as we have your son, we are here for you. We agree with the courts, your son deserves to have stability in his life.
  Your son is great! We celebrated his first birthday and he smashed his cake everywhere. He earned himself a direct trip to the tub. Our family and friends sang and celebrated as if he was one of ours and loved on him in ways that you would have loved to have seen.
   He's got some new skills, he's figured out how to clap and loves clapping. He's moving and grooving and any day now we expect him to take off running. We've got a slide in our living room and he loves crawling up and going down over and over and over again.
   PLEASE, go see the case manager. We sent a handful and a half of pictures and some hand and foot print art for you. May they be an inspiration for you for what you are missing out on, may you be inspired to do the hard work that is before you. Your son is worth it. You are worth it. I hold you in prayer every.single.day. God is bigger than any of our troubled histories and makes all things beautiful, including you and me. We all have our troubles but God walks with you in the midst of it. I pray you find the help you need so you can be reunited with one of the sweetest little boys I have ever had the chance to love on.
    In the meantime, your son is in good hands. He's happy and healthy. He's thankful it's summer and we spend most days outside. Every night the bathtub has a brown ring from the dirt for being outside. We will continue to love on him and treat him as one of our own. Our village will continue to love on him.
   Love,
      Your Son's foster mom