Episode 1

I must be freaking nuts...

How so? Let me set this up. My wife and I moved to a relatively small town in 2006. My middle child, a daughter met her best friend and they were in separable. She's had a challenge of life, her entire life. She was born addicted to Crack, her biological mother was required by the state to give up her children, this girl and her biological brother. Both were adopted by this girl's biological great grandparents. In the years since, that family has fought over who gets this girl... and not in the good way. They were fighting to keep her out of their house.

Fast forward to 2009. My wife and I knew that her adopted parents were prompted to offer our home should age become an limitation in raising this girl. At the time I was making a very good living, and my wife was an elementary school teacher and loving the job, but not the politics, therefore we felt we could help should the need arise.

Last week the need came to fruition. Her adopted parents were in a very bad auto accident and both of the parents are now in a rehab center, for a minimum of three weeks, but I think more likely be in for months. So, last night this girl moved into my home. While I do not have the means I did in 2009 to take care of this child, now a 16 year old girl, I do it because I am still prompted to do so, and I am a man of my word.

The weird part is when my wife and I first approached the possibility of this event, we had no problem of doing it. Now that the reality of the responsibility is setting in, well it's very much like the panic one briefly feel the first day their child is brought home from the hospital, that sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach of total doubt that you can take full responsibility of this young life.

So now the new challenge of one more in the house.