Shining a light and finding my own spark again

Finding your own light while simultaneously shining a light on important matters feels good. It's a liberating feeling when you can open up to your true self in the process. You get and you give, it's a win-win.

I feel like the last few months have been so busy and I've lost touch with myself, passions, and hobbies. Work is busy, work/life balance has been tough to find. I'll get in a routine for like a week and then it feels like my world sorta goes kaput. After the chaos settles a bit I get to try and reorganize my the puzzle that is my life. It's hard, I get defeated, but every now and then the missing pieces reunite in a beautiful way and it feels like the universe gives me a warm hug of a reminder that I'm doing my best and it's okay.

It's the serendipitous moments, unplanned, unexpected, but so reassuring. Many of these happen while I'm out on story assignments. I think I'm just telling another story but then there's a more personal meaning.

November is National Adoption month. A month dedicated to spreading awareness, encouraging others, and acknowledging the people whose lives have been impacted by adoption. I covered a story about East Texans raising awareness about the foster care crisis in Texas and helping families who may want to foster or adopt. November is when they really press on the gas with community engagement. Since getting interview for the story it really has me looking more at my situation.

My family is one of those families who has been impacted by adoption. My mom adopted both my sister and me. According to my mom I was adopted on December 18, 1997, at 11 months old. An innocent baby who was given a second chance by a courageous woman. You know my mom wanted us because she flew all the way to Russia... Nancy doesn't fly, she hates heights, she hates flying. But she made A LOT of sacrifices, flying being one of them, to get me, and a few years later, my sister. My mom and her new kid flew back to the U.S. and I made my big American debut on December 24, 1997, and it's been a better place since :)

In all seriousness though, from as early as I can remember I knew I was adopted. I'm sure when I was younger I didn't know exactly what that meant but it's always been an open topic in our house. I would ask about my biological parents but we really have no information other than names and a little bit of information on them. In the last few years I've been more proactive about searching for them but haven't had any luck finding them. For me it's not something that crushes me, like it is what it is, but if they chance ever came up to meet them that'd be so neat!

For my interviews for the story I got to talk with people at the Fostering Collective who helps families that are fostering and a foster and adoptive family. It just got me thinking about the good, the time, and heart that these people put toward helping kids. I had a rewind back to my childhood and all the people who have made sure I'm doing well and did well growing up and it's an overwhelming feeling. No amount of thanks can get across the gratitude in my heart. Like it really takes a village to raise and grow a kid, from experiences, to support, and so much more.

Even in the utter chaos of this job, I do appreciate the fact that I can be a part of raising awareness and getting the word out about important matters and the local people behind the good.