Motley Crew Intro

The people in my life are truely a motley crew. My own doing, as I choose them all at one time or another. Long ago and far away, I thought it just seemed logical to adopt my childrem. Naive, perhaps. Hopeful certainly. Liberal to the bone in my belief that when I wanted to add kids to the mix, I should find kids who needed parents.

Neither Mark nor I cared much back then about whether our children were genetically ours or not. I do understand those for whom that is a huge issue, it just wasn't for us. But I never expected to get what I got.

All three have had serious issues, and none have given me the "normal" family I dreamed of having. I've dealt with all sorts of disabilities over the years, physical, and mental. Andy arrived at age 11 and the adoption distrupted at 16, when he went back out to foster care. At 45 now, he and his family are actually the ones I most enjoy spending time with (more stories to come later). Kayla was supposed to be our normal, healthy infant and she was diganosed ASD (autistic) at 3 (mucho long saga) and is now 21 and ready to tranisition from school to adult services. Lastly Janai came at 2, with minor learning issues, and at 19 is on her own, stuggling with mental health and behavior issues, and as I write this, no one is sure if she's in Holyoke or Malden, and she's not answering her phone. Her daughter, my grandbaby was taken into state custody when she was 7 mos old and I haven't seen her since.

A friend I used to work with, and excellent listener to my frequent tales of woe and distress, often said, "Susan, you should write a book....no one would believe it all!"

My frequent response was, who'd want to read it, if it's all sad?"

But over the years I guess I've learned a lot about life and human nature and what is and is not possible. I'm a firm believer that things do happen for a reason, even if I can't always see it in the midst of the drama. And most days I don't think of my life as sadder than others. But there are days when I ask, "Why me?"

Perhaps writing about it all, including what makes me smile, here in this blog will help fit the jigsaw together. Perhaps someone will want to read it... I guess that's what blogs are for.