The journey of foster care can teach you several things, from patience to love without condition. On November 30th, 2020, it was finally the day when life had turned beautiful, as Dakota was now officially his son. This entire process and their journey together were now 140 days old! All the pain they endured no longer lasted, and it was time for the duo to heal.
Starting with how they met. They met on April 6th, back in 2018. Although people around them know bits of their story, Dakota and the man know how they were together in almost everything. From sharing laughs to shedding tears, the bond was pure and beautiful. Forming bonds took time, but it did not take long for them. They communicated so much that the man knew Dakota’s entire story in just a few days.
Because they were there for each other and made each other feel safe and loved, the remaining 969 days were more emotionally sound. The story was that Dakota was full of pain at a very young age. A story that made him fearful and gave him pain, which are things no child deserves. The man was his foster parent, and when he met Dakota at first, the boy was silent, as if he were scared. Meeting and getting comfortable with a stranger after you have been in so much pain can be tough, especially when you look back; all that is in your past is trauma, and just making it through each day. However, now that they are together, Dakota is proud of his story and owns it. Beautiful things take time, and so does the transformation in Dakota’s life.
In just a few days after being welcomed into the family, Dakota formed a bond with everyone and was treated like another family member. Everyone loved him, and the good thing? The love he received was the love he gave to everyone. The boy also had to change his school, the only school he knew in 8th grade, and adjusting there was also a significant change, as everything was new to him, from the environment to the friends.
Although it was a new experience, thankfully, a pleasant one, previously, his family’s background gave others a reason to bully him, but here, he was accepted and loved wholeheartedly. This did not just emotionally lift Dakota but healed the parts of the man that broke when he heard the little boy’s story.
As a single foster parent raising Dakota, his only priority was to give the boy a beautiful life. Dakota’s arrival changed his focus and priorities, but the man is grateful for the friends who made the journey easier by accepting everything with so much love and understanding.
God has the most beautiful plans ready for humans, especially after pain. In the present day, both of them continue to share a lovely bond. More than being a father-son duo, they look like two best friends who want to experience life together. From traveling to places like New Orleans and MSU events and sharing so many happy moments, they had also shared tears, e.g., when a former foster father of Dakota passed away.
The man is thankful that he gave Dakota his name, ‘Dakota Graham Barr, ’ as the boy’s presence has brought him many positive things and healed him in ways he could never imagine. He is and always will be thankful for this. The man is also grateful to everyone who stood by his side and supported him in his journey.
