Marking the Loss For Adopted & Foster Kiddos

Today is Memorial Day here in the U.S. A day we remember all those who lost their lives serving to protect. I am SO thankful for all that these men and women have done for my family and myself!  

As an Intentional Parent, it’s also a day that we have chosen to mark all those we have lost in our family. A day to remember. A day to honor. We remember my brothers. My husband’s Dad. Grandparents. And for my adopted kiddos…we mark the loss of their biological parents. Although they are still living, they’re not with my girls. It was a loss. A really deep loss. And definitely one that deserves to be marked.

Over the years, we’ve done a variety of ways of marking the loss. Having my girls draw pictures when they were little. Planting trees or flowers. Sending up balloons. Writing. Conversations. And sometimes just a quiet reflection. It really depended on what I thought my girls needed at the time. And what they expressed as they got older.

Reality is there are times it would have been easier to not mark it. Easier on me. Easier on my kiddos. But it’s important. And for some of my girls, they needed to be shown that they would be okay by facing it rather than not speaking about it.

The loss is there. It has impacted them. And no matter the circumstance, their loss deserves to be marked. And my girls deserve the opportunity to honor their parents. To remember. ​