Living individually, all by yourself, is not an easy job. As the only child in her family, Shannon always dreamt of being surrounded by children and a house filled with laughter, sweet talks, and joy. Some dreams are meant to come true, as Shannon witnessed her dream come true when her family grew from one to four in over three years. The will to have children strengthened when her grandmother fell sick, and with her declining health, Shannon’s mother stuck by her and gave her all the love she possibly could. The loss of her grandmother made her realize how badly she wanted to be a mother too.
Before that, she looked for love and was patient regarding how one random day the love of her life would walk into her life, but as time passed, disappointments grew, and learning how she would be infertile for the rest of her life shattered all her hopes. No fertility treatments worked, and in her mid-30s, she wondered if she would be alone for the rest of her life in the house covered with silence that seemed to scare her on some days.
Hope was enlightened when, in a conversation with one of her colleagues, she learned how amazing being a foster parent could be. The main question that did not leave her mind was if, being a single woman, she would be able to love enough.
However, being a strong, independent woman, she did not doubt, and the following summer, she said yes to two baby girls, who were placed somewhere else, leaving her heartbroken. She did not let the heartbreak take away her excitement and enrolled in foster parenting classes. 2017 was a great relief when she finally got the license, so she had a higher chance of adopting.
Soon, her phone rang, and two toddler boys were all set to join the family. However, that lasted only a week, as they were later moved with their siblings.
She realised how welcoming and saying goodbye over and over again was more challenging than living alone. It felt like every time, a piece of her heart was taken away. However, she got another chance just a month after they were gone.
This time, it was a 7-day-old tiny girl, “P.” The attachment Shannon had formed with her was like no other, and it broke her heart to think that she, too, would be taken away. In the following days, while P still lived with her, another baby born at 23 weeks was welcomed, too. It was Remy.
Shannon’s mother knew it was challenging to care for two infants at a time, so she moved in with her and became a part of the family. It was a day of complete bliss when Shannon learned that P’s wouldn’t have to return and that Reese, her sibling, would get Shannon’s love now. Shannon also adopted Remy, and now, Shannon’s life revolved around the three beautiful houses.
The once-empty house now echoes laughter and is surrounded by love. Shannon learned through her journey that hope brings unconditional love into one’s life.
