Parenting usually begins with preparation – baby showers, parenting books, months of anticipation. My journey started with a sleepy toddler climbing into my lap on a Boeing 737.
Finn’s quiet desperation that day still haunts me. While other passengers averted their eyes, this child instinctively sought comfort from a stranger. The hours that followed revealed a heartbreaking truth – his parents’ distraction wasn’t just a one-time mistake.
Something about his trusting grip on my finger wouldn’t let me walk away. When social services mentioned needing foster homes, my hand shot up before my brain could protest. Suddenly my quiet apartment was filled with toy cars and bedtime stories.
Those six months taught me more about love than I’d learned in a lifetime. The goodbye shattered me, but seeing Finn return to healthier parents made it worthwhile. Sometimes the most meaningful families are the temporary ones – the ones who catch us when we fall, even if just for a little while.
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