"I want to be a lawyer" exclaimed Anthony to the Judge that christened his adoption with the swipe of his pen and the promise of a better future.
Just years before, Anthony and his brother Thomas could barely speak. Their only form of communication was a series of negligible sounds and the words "whoop ass" which they memorized because their birth mother uttered those two words to them consistently. Unwanted by their birth mom, their only parenting role model was the dog, whose bathroom routine they mimicked while they were locked in the bedroom with him. When the courts got involved, Anthony and Thomas were labeled as "disabled" and "unadoptable" by the foster care system and were headed for permanent residency in a mental healthcare facility.
But this is not a sad story about children forgotten and pushed to the wayside. This is a story of love and acceptance. This is a happy ending.
Three and a half years ago, they were placed in a foster home. In this home they became part of a family that showered them with love and respect. Their foster mom, now their adoptive mother, is a single parent that works full time to provide for them. As a child, her mother also cared for and loved foster children. So following in her mother's footsteps occurred naturally without hesitation.
While so many of us take daily baths, regular meals and family time for granted, these young boys relished these new opportunities.
To go from not being able to speak, to feeling confident enough to publicly share the dream of a bigger and better future is amazing. Even without such an unspeakable past, many of us aren't fearless enough to dream aloud.
Anthony is a bit further along than his older brother Thomas, but for these 8 and 9 year old boys the skies the limit. Once broken, they can now soar.
Congratulations to Anthony, Thomas and their new mom, Evie!