My best Thanksgiving dinner ever took place 16 years ago. Far from home, far from the Land of the Pocohantas and the Pilgrims. It was in South America. These were the guests of honor :
We found other families in similar limbo to share the day. The meal itself was forgettable, save for the can of jellied cranberry that a woman from Kansas had oddly brought with her. What is forever memorable is how thankful we were to have our son, and be a family, and how we marveled at the dips and turns life takes to place you in such wonderful moments.
Being an adoptive parent makes me forever conscious of what family means. Years later I worked on a book about what happen to kids who age out of foster care. The one thing the subjects all said, whether their lives were going well or a struggle, was they wished they had a mom or dad. Not for the big things but for the small. Someone to show up at your sports games, or know you won a prize, or to call on a bad day when your car breaks down and fail a test or have a problem with a co-worker. One man in his twenties, a huge strapping entrepeneur and former college football player got tears in his eyes telling me that no one, zero, zippo, was there to see him graduate from college.
That's what the Red Scarf project is all about. The students who get a hand knit scarf in a care package this February don't have families to send them something that says"I'm thinking of you". But they'll know that someone was, thanks to the efforts of the Orphan Foundation and the goodness of many knitters.
I'm going to spend this Thanksgiving with my family, hopefully appreciating each other during a very long car ride but let's not get too carried away, OK?. I'll be knitting something red, and warm, and hopefully lovable as a scarf with this:
For more info on the Red Scarf Project.
Or visit the Orphan Foundation website, they're the organization that sends out the care packages and arranges mentors for former foster care kids.
For more information about National Adoption Month (November) go here.
6 comments:
wonderful story! it is a great project. I knit two scarf, and my knitting group is "on the case"
thanks for sharing.
What a lovely Thanksgiving post. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this.
You sweetie, you--what a thankful post.
Your boy-o was durned cute on a couch that was not short on charming bebbies..
Yup, I'll be Red-Scarfing this year,too--hey! I get to buy red yarn! Hooray!
And still, after the holidays are done, I want to Steam-Along with you--mayhap in March? An Irish Steam-Along?
Thanks for the story. I am off to celebrate Thanksgiving with my friends who are extended family for me here. We'll be having a new addition this Thanksgiving. A 7 year old from Ethiopia who joined their family of four this past January. When he stopped over at our house in his new hockey gear the other night, eyes shining, I knew he had settled into life in Minnesota. I am thankful for all who share their lives with children who need it.
The things you find out about the people you think you 'know'!
And not for nothing but think of all the red scarves you are generating.
I will just put this out there: he was the cutest one, and the competition was fierce.
Love,
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