Too old for a Mom?

This weekend, my husband and I were knocked down by the flu. I have never been that sick from the flu! By the end of the day, I was quite dehydrated and had to go the emergency room for IV fluids. My husband was still too sick to take me, so I called my mom. She brought me to the hospital and stayed with me until 3am, when I was released. Even though I am a grown, married woman, I still needed my mom.

Everyday, foster children are turning 18 and aging out of the foster care system. Imagine being 18, 19, 20 and having no one to celebrate your birthday with, no one to cheer you on, no daddy to walk you down the aisle. No mom to ask how to get the stain out of your favorite shirt, no dad to help you change your oil. At the age of 18, these kids are legally adults. But no matter how old you are, you never stop needing a mom and a dad. You never grow out of the need for a family.

If you go to http://www.adoptuskids.org/, there are one hundred 18 year olds waiting for families. That doesn't include the 19 - 21 year olds also listed, and it's not a complete listing for the entire United States.

When you skim through the profiles, you can see they all want one thing - a family that loves them unconditionally. And they absolutely deserve that. Imagine not having a family to celebrate holidays with, or to help you out in tough times.

Then look into their faces, and imagine telling them "no".