What we're good at

As I was in the shower this morning I was trying retrace our steps toward adoption. I remember, as any good homeschooling mom would do, trying out different activities for the kids, to see what they'd excel in. We tried karate... everybody dreaded going every week. But I remember the night one of the kids in the class threw up and all my kids gathered around, bringing paper towels, trash cans and mops to help him. We tried gymnastics. I can't say anyone necessarily was a "natural gymnast" but they all wanted to befriend the boy who was born with one arm and adopted from (Korea?). Then, in soccer, I'll never forget a mother whose son was mentally retarded, came up to me, and commented how well my kids played with her son. Most kids, she said, were afraid of him, and didn't know how to respond. So as I was in the shower this morning, I realized, that through each of these activities, we learned what we as a family would be good at...caring for others in need.  I contacted pediatrician's offices, and a school for special needs kids to ask how we can be involved in volunteering with kids with special needs. Sorry, they said, everyone in our family would have to be 16 or older to volunteer. That would be a long time to wait to volunteer, I concluded. So we'll do it our own way! Adoption!