Around this time last year, I got a phone call that would forever change everything. Social Services called and asked if we would be willing to take in a newborn of a young lady I know. We said yes. A couple of weeks later, we were picking up a three week old. 

Picking him up was surreal. I don’t think I drove over thirty miles an hour because I was thinking “I have a little package to get home”. Yes I had done this four times before but this time was different.  This “little package” wasn’t delivered by me. This “little package” was entrusted to my care. After bringing him home and doing all the family introductions and answering hundreds of questions from our other children, it was time to do my formal introduction…
“Hi sweet boy. My name is Stacy Boyd but everyone around here calls me Mommy.💁🏾 I know that this might be a little much knowing that you’ve been in two other places in the last two weeks. By the way, I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But we are here to take good care of you. As you’ve seen, we aren’t new to taking care of little ones but you are our first bonus baby.  I have no idea how long you’ll be with us but please know that as long as you’re here you’re ours. We will always love and treat you like our son. I promise that we will do the best we can to ensure that your time with us is safe, secure and that you will always be treated like family. I also promise to pray for your birth parents and that they can get some things together to be positive examples for you. Like I said, I dont have a timeline for you but I do know that I love you already and that this, this very moment was meant to be.”

If nothing else, I’m learning that love, true love, involves grace. Grace that sees others through the lens of empathy. I still can’t tell you a timeline for this sweet boy where our home is concerned…however I can say that without a doubt he is our #5…