Two roads diverge...

Journeying to a family through the world of adoption is full of rush, rush, rush or waiting..., waiting..., waiting... It can be full of mind numbing insensitive experiences or beautiful moments you wouldn't have otherwise experienced.

We've gone through all of that. We've seen friendships grow, met so many incredible people, we've laughed so much more, we've had so many more 'highs', all of this, as a result of our adoption connection. We've gotten to know people we wouldn't have otherwise gotten to know, and quite frankly, there are many we've gotten to know so much better they we did prior to starting this journey. This isn't just about those who are adopting either.

In the beginning, it was all full steam ahead. It was all about rushing through life, racing towards the ultimate high, side by side with so many families, all in the pursuit of a lifetime, the pursuit of a family.

As the wait started to take effect, some things changed, they had to, you can't sustain a full out 'rush' forever. Many of our newer relationships matured, blossomed into beautiful bouquets of friendship. Perhaps, this is because many of us took time to reflect about the fact having a family isn't so much about the destination only, the journey also matters, deeply.

And sometimes, when you reflect, what you see is awesome, wonderful, joyful. It's everything you wanted it to be and oh so much more.

What I realize is that life changes. People (can) change. Circumstances change. Expectations change. As such, some people are meant to come into your life and stay for a while, others come and go from your life quickly, making an impact and moving on, sometimes for the worse but almost always for the best I'd say.

Simply put... some people meet at a fork in the road and together they walk to the next fork, and the next one and so on and so on. Each time a fork comes they take it together, partners. Other times, people meet at a fork, sharing, supporting, helping, but in the end, one departs from the fork, or perhaps both do, but on divergent paths, that doesn't diminish the importance of the time they shared though.

I can't say too many of the paths I've walked on with others on this adoption journey have diverged, but when they do it can feel like a loss.