The Boy In The Box

Jim and I had a much needed date on Friday. (Thank you, Rachel!!) We went to dinner, and saw the movie "Martian Child". In it, John Cusack plays a science fiction writer, who decides to adopt a little boy who thinks he is a martian from Mars, on earth for a mission - to learn how to be human. When he first goes to see the boy, he discovers that he spends his days in a big carboard box! He decides he is not cut out for that kind of drama, and rejects the idea. But, he can't stop thinking about that boy in the box, and he returns. I won't ruin it and tell you the whole story, but I will tell you, it is a must see.

This little boy (although just a character in a movie) got to me. There have definately been times in my life that I would have liked to just climb into a big box to keep from getting hurt again, or just to escape the harsh realities of the world. We've all had those moments. And, it IS hard to understand humans, especially ones who give up their children, or ones who harm children. As an adult, I am perplexed and horrified at the way some people treat children, so imagine how difficult it is for a child to understand!

I am blessed to have been born to two wonderful, amazing parents who showered me with love everyday. But, what if I hadn't been? What kind of person would I be today if I spent my childhood in an orphanage, or worse, moving from dysfunctional foster home to foster home? Watching the movie, I couldn't help but think, what if Dylan were that little boy? There are thousands of kids out there who are just as easy to love as my precious boy, and they deserve to feel wanted, to feel special and loved, and to be part of a family.

My husband and I looked into adoption. I searched tons of websites, did tons of research, and went to seminars. But, we felt that we couldn't afford it. At the time, I hadn't even considered fostering a child and adopting that way. Since then, a friend of mine decided to foster a little boy, with the plan to adopt him. When he was just a few days old, a friend of ours and I were going out, and she asked us to babysit him while she took her dog to the vet. When I held him for the first time, I remember looking down at this tiny person, so fragile, so innocent, so full of possibilities. When I thought about the life he might have had if he stayed with his biological parents, my eyes teared up. He deserved so much more! I held him up and whispered in his little ear, "You're going to have a great life, kid. I can feel it!" And here it is, over a year later, and he IS having a great life with my friend and her husband. When I think about it, my heart is happy. I feel in my soul that one day I will do the same thing for a child, and that thought makes me happier still.