I recently noticed Gus laying on my bed, ready for bedtime and waiting for his siblings to finish getting ready. A somewhat common occurrence, but seeing him in a pair of monkey pajamas gave me a flashback.

When I came in, he just giggled and asked me to tickle him. No big deal, right?

Well, I think many adoptive parents would agree that the hardest time is bedtime. Actually, I think most parents would agree on that, too, but having children who have been in an orphanage, where bedtime meant changing caregivers or not enough people to sooth them to sleep or who knows what else, bedtime is an extra challenge. It’s a time of vulnerability. Instead of the sweet vulnerability you often see in kids who have been nurtured their entire lives, rage and fear often take its place.

I’m pretty familiar with these emotions.

But, do you see that?

Almost two years of difference. Two years of healing and trust being built up.

Love wins.