Photo Courtesy of 107 Market Street

The first time I saw her.  I remember the first time I saw my daughter.  It was April 10, 2010, Ghana, West Africa.  

She was sleepy.  She had just woken from a nap.  My husband and I were on foot from our hotel to her foster home.   We were told to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  Reality can sometimes be clouded by magical thinking about meeting your forever child.  That moment.  This moment.  This is what I had been praying about for years.  I was SO excited!  Or was I anxious? Yes - I was anxious, too.  I was nervous.  TOO. MANY. EMOTIONS.

I glance at Mark and am assured that he is feeling too many feelings all at once as well.  We could not have asked for a better 'moment'.  Our first meeting with Zoe was glorious.  She was 23 months old, a month shy of her second birthday.  She came into my arms easily.  She was tiny!  Her frame was frail but I could tell her spirit was strong.  I laugh now at that statement because, boy, is she strong!!

November is National Adoption Month.  Families are at the heart of what Sarah and I do here at 107 Market Street.  Our heart is to keep families together.  Period.  But when that doesn't happen, our hearts are to serve all parties involved.  We want to become a real catalyst in the lives of single moms working to keep their children.  We want to serve children who are left behind in the wake of a difficult decision that someone made. We want to support the families who lovingly open their hearts and homes forever to children who need a home.  

I want to continue to share my personal journey of adoption with you.  There are highs and lows.  Instances where laughter is due and others where deep sorrow cries out.  Let's explore different aspects of adoption together.  Very little is as it seems at first glance.  But that's true about all of us, isn't it?

I look forward to sharing my story.

This post first appeared on 107 Market Street's Blog which you can view here.  Follow Amy's journey by going to 107marketstreet.com