Adopted Families

Maiyan on our very first day together.

   
    The last few months have brought a lot of changes in my life. I moved back to San Diego to be closer to my family but at the expense of leaving behind many friends that have become family in Portland, a beautiful city, and fulfilling volunteer opportunities. In the midst of all this change, I have reflected a lot on the meaningfulness that the relationships in Portland brought to my life in the last four years. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the love and support I received and continue to even after the move.
   Aside from all the wonderful friendships I made in college, and the nurturing environment my professors offered me, one of the greatest blessings in my life has been the family I nannied for. I still remember being invited to interview to watch 4 year-old Maiyan. Sheila, his mom, invited me into the house and I quickly learned the power that a loving mom held. Her questions were refined, focused, and she left no room for ambiguity; Sheila was on a mission to find a fit for her family that was for the long haul. Despite the intensity of Sheila, I remember finding her assertiveness endearing and I knew that I was meeting a woman that in many ways I could look up to.
    A few days later, I was invited to trial spending time with Maiyan and his sister Aliyah. We walked to the frozen yogurt shop and shared dessert and a lot of laughter. I watched a shy little guy turn into a goofy comedian as the sugar hit his tongue. After that day, I began spending time with Maiyan each week and as the weeks progressed, I knew that this would be a family that would always be a part of my life. Over the last few years, I have fallen into the arms of a family in a way I never imagined. They were a part of birthday celebrations when I couldn't return to San Diego, Sheila and Jason (Maiyan's dad) became mentors and advocated for me as I moved from student to professional, and the girls and Maiyan brought me joys I have only known when spending time around my own siblings.
    While a lot of the changes of leaving Portland are reminders of the blessings I had while I was there, being further away from this family is also a reminder that the concept of family is flexible. It takes a special family like Sheila and Jason's but I learned that it is very possible to be humbly accepted as a true member of a family even when you start in the position of stranger. I continue to be empowered by their example here in San Diego and am excited to see what distance does for strengthening the beautiful relationship we already have, as I know it will!