Adoptive Families

I don't really know why this is in my life, but there have been some familes who have taken it upon themselves to "adopt" me. Maybe, it was because I knew a family member well, whether through school, church or work, but these familes have shown me unusual kindness through allowing me to become a part of their family.

The first was the Wise family. I met them through Kilbourne Park Baptist Church. Mary Ellen Wise was close to my age and was a member of the youth group. Their house was only a few blocks from the church and was big enough to hold our youth group, so I was over there a lot. We mainly talked or listened to music. I even wrote a play about their family called "Birge for the Defense". Mr. Wise was an attorney. The Wises really helped me see that I had talent and self-worth.

When I got to seminary in Texas, there were two familes that made me feel welcome in their homes. The Brooks family and the Miller family. Paula Brooks was my Communications teacher at seminary. Her husband was a preacher, and they had a son named Mark who went on to be a successful professional golfer. They had me over several times for dinner. Then, there was the Millers. Mrs. Miller worked with me at Sanger-Harris, and she opened up her home to me and others to play games and watch TV. Our favorite game was poker. She also invited us out for picnics on Saturdays and Sundays. It was a good time to get away from the pressures of school.

More recently, it has been the Stone family in St. Matthews SC. I met Thom at Rich's, and we became good friends, since we had so much in common. When my parents moved to Laurens, Thom and Mary Ann invited me to spend Christmas with them, because I needed a family Christmas and no longer hand one. This is where the tradition began. They welcomed me into their home and lives. Soon, I was spending Easter and Thanksgiving with them, too. I became a part of their family, and they accepted me. This has been going on now for over ten years. I hope it continues.

I don't want to imply that my biological family ignored me, but these other familes helped me. I thank them as having a special place in my heart.