Hearts ~

What we have here are two beating hearts.

When I first saw this I was reminded of watching the monitors in both

my Mom and Dad's hospital rooms.

I stared at those montiors many days,

until their tired hearts stopped beating.

It's a picture in my mind I don't care to remember.

Now, 

these two beating hearts are how I choose to remember that scenerio.

I now think of each of their hearts on the same screen, 

as a symbol if you will,

 of two hearts that became

 one.

Out of them becoming one heart,

 me....

I love hearts.

Which is why my blog is

titled

Echo of my Heart.

I have a heart for people,

all

people.

I believe with all my heart,
 that I received a heart which is a product of the one  my parents shared.

I was raised in a home that seemed to draw in

those who needed 

love.

Mom and Dad were foster parents for The Bureau of Adoptions.

This started in the mid sixties,

a time prior to abortion being legalized.

A time when life of the unborn was valued.

Many, many young mothers delivered their babies 

and

loved that preious child so much that that chose to give that child

the best chance of having a good life.
What a brave, loving thing to do.

A life with adoptive parents to love them as their own.

There was an abudance of newborn babies waiting for foster homes. 

Our home, a lay (love) over,

until a proper home and family was found.

My parents took in those new born babies,
generally two at a time.
My two sisters and I loved this time in our lives.
It was like having real life baby dolls!
We learned early on how to care for babies,
change and  fold diapers.
Yes, we were folding the real deal,
cloth diapers!

The tough part of taking these babies in was
watching them being
carried out.
Some were with us up to almost three months of age,
they became ours,
bonded through hearts.
All hearts giving and all hearts receiving,
love.

Eventually the day comes,
 the family lines up,
the social worker, baby in her arms,
moves down the line of sad faces.
Sad faces, waiting their turn to kiss that baby
before they are carried out,
out of our lives forever.

Mom and Dad also took in family members, as well as friends of us kids.
Whomever needed a hand up in the world, they were welcomed in.
In our home they stay until they could stand on their own.
Each as though they had always belonged,
part of our family.

My parents saw 45 foster babies come and leave our home.
All but one.
That special one, the 45th.
Found by a special family that was sure to love him.
My brother Tony who came to us at 3 days old was adopted
by our family and he became ours.
Ours to love, unconditionally,
it's what family does.
Ours to love the rest of his days.

So this is February, the heart month....

 I can't help but think of the two,
who became one.
The two who became one heart,
  showing love to so many the rest of their days.

Thanks Mom and Dad for living lives that
showed me how to love,
and to love well......
 with all my heart.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

My heart it full
~
Thankful for the love received from them,
 it's what echos from my heart today.