Growing Elijah...Part Two!

A couple of years ago I blogged about my son receiving a Valentine's gift from a classmate. It was a tiny potted strawberry plant. The cutest little thing. When you got it home you were supposed to water it, love it, and watch it grow over time. Well, being a little boy in pre- school and not having any concept about time and waiting, Elijah went over to the plant every two minutes claiming with great excitement that he could see the beginning of a leaf or the start of a strawberry! No matter what I said he could not be convinced that the plant wasn't already starting to peek through. Finally, when I was explaining ( for the fifth time) the growing process to him I realized what a metaphor it was for my feelings about him. There was all this miracle happening  under the soil. Just waiting to peek through. Our job as parents was to watch over, love, and care for this miracle that no one else could see yet. It had been my favorite blog post. Now fast forward and our son turns seven today! I wrote back then that the world had no idea what it was in for with Elijah. That it had better get ready to be shaken and not simply stirred! Our son is the greatest joy of our lives! I get a kick out of the physical change my body goes through when he calls me mommy or mama or most often... sweetie!!! I'm like a Super Hero whose main power is the ability to completely liquify! Ohhhh there she goes... it's Puddle Of Goo Girl! Speaking of Super Heroes, Elijah is ours. This child was placed in foster care at five weeks of age and bounced around for the first three years of his life from temporary home to temporary home. By the time we got to him he had already decided not to trust people, especially women since they were the main ones who rejected him. He would just stare at me as if to say "Why are you being so loving? You're not going to stay." My son would not run to me or hug and kiss me or say he loved me. I didn't need him to do that. I wanted to give him love. I wanted to do that for the rest of my life whether he loved me or not. He didn't owe anybody anything. He didn't ask to be here. People tend to treat children who need parents like they're rescue puppies. They expect all this gratitude for something that was the child's God given right to have before someone or some system messed things up.I prayed over my son every night. I asked God to tell Elijah's heart that mommy and daddy would NEVER leave him. That we were forever. That was important because how do you explain the concept of forever to a little soul whose "family" changed every few months? I always saw Elijah as the miracle about to be revealed. Always had the protective, mother tiger, say something negative about my son and I will slice you in one hundred different ways instinct that people assume you have to give birth in order to have. As I've said before, the miracle of Elijah's birth has nothing to do with whose womb he came from. Elijah is a miracle! I know every inch of my son. Every new scrape or cut or beauty mark(we call it a handsome mark!). I know the look that proceeds him running into my arms and squeezing me so tight! I love that look. I know (like every mom does) at breakfast whether it's going to be a great day at school, or if he's going to challenge every adult in his path. I know when he's thinking deep thoughts. I know when he's getting ready to break out and dance and it doesn't matter where we are when he gets that feeling! I know when he's planning an Incredible Hulk sneak attack on Billy in his sleep and it's so funny to see that. The constant joy and laughter that my son now has in his eyes. The understanding of forever.The fact that without my requiring it, my son now kisses me all over my face and says he loves me about a million times every day, is proof of his bravery. His leap of faith to trust Billy and I with his heart... forever. People are usually so shocked to find out that we adopted him. All they see is an extremely close family who love each other so very much! Billy and I have really been blessed with this tiny little gem who is now with love, time, and care, growing up to be all that we saw in our hearts  for him before we even met him. So here's the deal... the amazing thing about children is how they simplify all the things adults complicate.The word adoption didn't resonate with Elijah.When speaking of the day we became a legal family he, without missing a beat, will tell you "That's the day we all got married!" Puddle Of Goo Girl melting in five... four... three... two...