The first 3 photos are from October after Joshua had been home for about a month. The last one is from January of this year and is one of my favorite photos. I love it because it shows how far we have come. Often I feel like people want to dismiss the pain and trauma experienced by children in adoption. I feel like there is a tendency for many people to look at the first photos and say well he's just nervous about the swing - it's a normal childhood issue. I am certain it is normal for some children. But not for Joshua. If there is one thing my son loves it is to be swung, and have the sensation of flying through the air or falling. Not only that, but he was a child that by all reports was fearless. We specifically asked his foster mother if there was anything he was afraid of, there was not. I believe with all my heart that fear entered Joshua's life when he went through the trauma of losing his foster family, language, country, culture, and pretty much everything else he was familiar with. And I hate that for him. He has experienced more pain at less than 2 years old than some people experience in a lifetime. I wish I could fix it. But I can't. All I can do is walk beside him through it and pray daily for the Lord to deliver him from fear and heal the broken places in his heart.
By no means is it "all better now" but we've come a long way - praise God!
3 comments:
This is so true, and I wish more people would understand it. I mean, REALLY understand it. I'm so glad to hear that Joshua is doing well!
That first photo makes me want to cry - we've come to know Joshua and you can just see the fear. So sad. So happy to see how much better he's doing. Hugs.
I feel like you have taught me so much about the difference in adopting an older child. This post really taught me even more! Awesome -- I have always "understood" when you talk about the pain you must watch him travel through, but this post really made me "get it."
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