Wedge Me In and Let Me Stay

Last night was the first session of my foster parent licensing class. The topic was an introduction to the foster care system, particularly the routes that children take into, out of, and often back into, care. It was overwhelming and heart-breaking, and I’ll have to process its impact more in another post. But I came across a really convicting blog post this morning, and I wanted to share it.

This is from the blog of a mother of eleven children, several with special needs. I don’t know her full “adoption story,” but she definitely seems to have a heart for children from hard places. The following is an excerpt from a poem she wrote, imagining what a child who didn’t get adopted would say about it later in life. It is beyond poignant; I think that last line is going to sustain me through some rough nights.


I understand that man would say
my childhood has slipped away.
I have a Father, this is true,
I know the same strong God as you.

But I wish that I had had a mom,
a brother, a sister, a dog, some lawn.
That you had tried to reach me there
not left me to my own despair.

To people who were paid to feed,
and paid to wash and paid to read.
To those who didn't stay too long
and those who chose to teach me wrong.

I wish…

I wish that you had found a way
to wedge me in and let me stay.