I See What You Meme

So unless you've been completely out of the loop for the last 6 months or so, you know that Roger and I have been in the process of training and approval to become Resource Parents (foster/adoptive parents) with UMFS .  On Wednesday, we crossed another threshold with our "opening meeting".  At this meeting, we signed all the final paperwork (Yes.  MORE paperwork!) to become Resource Parents.   Now we wait.  We could have opened our home immediately. In fact, they told us that they have some referrals "in mind" for us already.  However, we needed to get through the holiday season and (more importantly), January 7th before officially opening our home.  I know that these dates and anniversaries will come our way again; however, Roger and I both felt that it was important to get our minds set before welcoming a new child into our home. Am I excited? Yes.  Am I terrified? Heck, yes! But most parents are when waiting for a child to enter their lives, right

On the week of our 16th wedding anniversary , I have been thinking a lot about expiration dates.  Does that sound scary? Trust me. There is no need to panic.  In fact, I think about all of the things that our marriage has witnessed in 16 years.  We have lived in 5 homes in 4 different cities. We have gone through six different vehicles. We have replaced appliances, silverware, plates, sheets, dishcloths, electronics, and countless batteries.  We have remodeled a kitchen and a bathroom, replaced a roof, put in a new heat pump, and cut down numerous dying trees in our yard.   We raised a child through her fourth year and watched her die . It seemed like a lifetime, yet it was far too short.  Many things in our lives come with expiration dates.  Some have warranties included.  I admit that I frequently get suckered into purchasing the extended warranty for my appliances and higher end electronics.  There is always the question of, "What if?" Sometimes, it has actually wo

It's an odd time of year. The seasons are in flux. The days are getting markedly shorter. We have shifted from waking up in the dark to driving home in the dark.  One day, the weather requires jackets and gloves.  The next day, you're wearing shorts and sweating in the sun.  All of this chaos seems to breed instability.  I am all but convinced that is why our collective unconscious uses this time of year to celebrate the dead .   Does that sound morbid?  Halloween in itself is a dichotomy between fanciful fantasy and morbid horror.  It's a day to be someone (or something) we are not. For some, that could be a kitty cat, a princess, or a cartoon character.  For others, it's a zombie or a grotesque monster.  Are we communing with the dead, scaring away the demons, or just playing make believe in an effort to escape that which we fear?  In the Christian tradition, Halloween is followed by All Saints Day. Although technically celebrated on November 1st, the first Sun