It is who we are

May is National Foster Care Month. In honor of that, we asked some of our caregivers to share a little about their lives and unique experiences as foster and adoptive parents. Today's blog is posted by Rose Bailey, who, with her husband Brian, adopted eight children from our local foster-care system.

When someone asks me about my life as a foster and adoptive parent, I tell them: "It is who we are!"

It has been a long and wonderful journey with many experiences that are etched into our hearts - and with the name of every child who has passed through our home.

It has been parenting outside the box with behaviors that call for much compassion and commitment. It’s watching the love you gave a child help them to blossom over time. Or the joy of being part of a family reuniting after some hard work on everyone’s part.

It's seeing scared little faces turn into smiling happy ones, and watching children who were part of our family become successful adults. The empathy for others is transparent in our own eight, and it fills my heart.

Being a foster and adoptive family has been about stepping out of our comfort zone long enough to realize that it IS our comfort zone. This is our purpose, and it has been a blessing beyond measure.