Earlier this week, Roly Poly the beautiful little baby, now girl, who came to stay with us over Christmas came back for a visit. Her foster parents had to attend a meeting and needed someone to watch her. We agreed and for a few hours Roly came back to our house.
In the past 6 months since her visit, I can't count the number of times I've thought about her. I wondered how big she was now, if she was walking and talking and how many teeth she had. I also wondered where she was and if she was reunited with her birth parents or still at the foster home. We hadn't heard anything about her since the day she was picked up back in December. And yet, she still remained in my mind and in my heart.
As she walked through the door of our home, she was no longer a baby, a todler now, but still the same pretty little girl. Her contagious smile from ear to ear graced our eyes and as she came waddling in, she made herself right at home. I"m not sure if she remembered the place, as it looks different without all the "Christmas clutter" as Jarrett likes to say, but happy she seemed and not scared at all when her foster parents, the ones who've cared for her since she was 4 months old walked out.
Looking back now, in a way I think of our time with Roly as a preview of what our life was soon to become. For those 7 days in December we welcomed her into our home and into our family and gave her the love all children should have. All along we knew our care for her would just be temporary, a very short glimpse of time in her entire life, but we cared for her as if she was our own.
Little did we know, that less than 2 months later, we'd be opening up our hearts again to welcome our own little girl into our lives. In a way Roly prepared us for the magic and wonder that is having a little girl. After spending time with her, it became clear to Jarrett and I we were ready for number 3 and that we did have enough love in our hearts for another one.
As Roly Poly's foster parents picked her up, they shared that Roly was returning to her biological family and that she would be reunited with them in the next few days. Like a chapter book with a happy opening and closing, Roly's story will hopefully be that. Although the pages and chapters in the middle can be filled with struggles and challenges, she is getting to go home to her family. It is my prayer that she has a wonderful life and the hardest struggles of her story are behind her.
In a way I have Roly to thank for guiding us to Isabelle. Isabelle's addition to our family is perfect and the happiness she brings us would never had been known without Roly's visit.
As Roly grows she will probably never remember us, but we will always remember her. There's that one saying about the number of lives one will impact in their life. The truth is Roly's, at only 6 months old, impacted ours.
We wish you the best Roly and thank you for the lessons you've taught us.
Until next time,
angie
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