Gotcha Day: Kerry

​When we signed up to be foster parents there were a lot of things we did not know.  We did not who would be placed in our home.  We did not know how long he or she might live with us.  We did not know when. We only knew that one day a call may come.

So life went along with little thought to this call that may or may not come.  In fact, on one June afternoon, it was the furthest things from our minds.  What was on our minds was that the next day, eight people were coming from Missouri to help us with our work in Hawaii.

With a group on its way, we were busy making last minute preparations.  I was finalizing where they would stay and Samantha and I were running errands buying food and supplies for the week of working with this group.  We were in the parking lot of the Ewa Beach Safeway when the call came.
“Can you take a young boy?”
“Yes!  When?”
“Can you pick him up at 3pm today?” (it was already one o’clock)

We had very little information.  There was confusion about his name and his age, but he was in a shelter that was unsuitable for a child his age and needed placement immediately.  Of course we agreed.

We called the group and told them of the changes.  We began searching for a bed and a carseat.
At 3pm we went to a local urgent care clinic.  We were told that it was routine procedure for the child to undergo a physical when changing placements.  There was no social worker.  Kerry was brought by a courier who had him tucked under his arm like a package.  Samantha immediately took him and hugged him.  Kerry was understandably scared, so while Samantha argued with someone from child services on the telephone (they had none of the right paperwork for his physical), Caleb found a toy and began to play with him.  Slowly, Kerry warmed up, but he clung to Samantha as much as he could.

I once heard a comedian say that having a two year old is like inviting a raccoon on speed into your home.  We always said that Kerry came in to our family like the Tasmanian Devil.  We had a lot we all had to learn about each other, but this is what we know of Kerry:

• His imagination is huge and he is always ready to call up some superpower when a battle must be fought.
• He is quick to say, “I love you.”  He says it frequently.
• He loves birthdays:  his own or someone else’s 
• He loves music.
• There is no higher compliment than to be called his friend.

Eventually we received one of the greatest gifts anyone could bestow.  His biological family asked if we would adopt him.  That is a humbling honor, and one we cherish daily.

Social services drug their feet but on October 5, 2015, the day came.  We swore in court to be his parents.  The judge invited all of us for a picture behind the bench.  One day Kerry saw the picture and exclaimed, “I know what that is!”

“What is it?”  I asked.
“That’s when I turned Davis!”

Indeed it is.  We love you, Kerry.  Happy Gotcha Day!

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