My heart hurts tonight...

I had a rough afternoon. I know what you’re thinking…ut oh, here she goes again… ::insert eyeroll::

Let me explain. Today I said “good bye” to another of my long time daycare kids. I miss “my” kids. I miss Brooke, Emma, Noah, Bella, Addison… and now I’m losing Maddi and Tate too. Most of them I have taken care of since they were tiny babies. It’s hard to go from seeing them every day, playing with them, holding them, kissing their sweet little cheeks, snuggling with them just before and just after they wake up from a nap, watching them be silly, watching them as they learn something new… to not seeing them at all. Most of them are young enough that they won’t know me anymore after a few days or weeks. They are seeing someone else everyday now, the time they spent here with me has been replaced by their new caretaker. That’s what children do.
                                                                                                                  As I sat here this afternoon after giving Maddi a hug and kiss and making her promise to come see me, I started to think about Kirill, and Evan, and Baby J. The pain that I have felt over not having “my” kids here, could be compared to the pain that the Davis’ are going through. They have loved Kirill, and spent time with him, and thought that there would be many many more days and memories to be made with him, but then someone said “Sorry, he won’t be a part of your life anymore, move on”. They could have or adopt other kids, they can keep his memory in their hearts and cling to the time that they had with him, just like I will do with the kids who aren’t here anymore. It will take time, but it could be done.
                                                                                                            There is a HUGE difference though. What is it? The difference is that I know that “my” kids will be loved and cared for, and kissed, and played with, and all of those other things by their new caregivers, but more importantly, by their parents. They are safe, and warm, and sleeping in a cozy bed with a favorite stuffed animal or baby doll. That isn’t true for Kirill, Evan, and Baby J, they will eventually be sent to the institutions where they will “live” the rest of their undoubtedly shortened lives. They will just be another person to be taken care of. They might not get the nutrition, education, or even the basic things that they need to grow and be healthy. They will likely just waste away. After some time they won’t remember those people who came and promised to love them forever because… that is what children do…
                                                                                                               At 2 am CDT, the Hooks will be before the same judge who denied Kirill his family. They will be pleading with her to grant their little girl a family. Her name is Evan. She has a Momma, Daddy, and siblings at home who already love her very much. Like Kirill, she has spent time being loved on by her parents, and they have promised to come back for her even though in the backs of their minds they know that she might get the same answer that little Kirill did just two weeks ago… denied.
                                                                                                              Please pray for the Hooks. Pray for the judge and prosecutor. There are people all over the world who have been praying for these three sweet little ones who do deserve a family. Prayers for the judge have been going up since that day two weeks ago. Pray that she has heard God’s voice and knows that she should grant these little ones adoptions. She can change her mind about Kirill on her own without the Davis’ having to go to the Supreme Court. Pray that she grants the Hooks adoption and overturns her prior decision and grants the Davis’ adoption. It CAN HAPPEN. Our God is able!
                                                                                                                 I will be praying for the children, and the families that I have mentioned. I miss them dearly, but my pain does not compare to the pain that the Davis’, Hooks, and Moreno families will have to live with if they aren’t able to bring their little ones home…