When I was young, I was always told I'd be a good mom.

Of course I did a lot more work with kids back then. I worked summers at Skyline to help with reading programs, I did the Title I assistant semester in high school, I did a lot of babysitting, and for a long time I thought I wanted to be a teacher.  But, things change.

As I grew up, I realized I didn't want to have children of my own. I was a step mom for several years but I didn't want to have the actual, you know, birthing experience.  And as I get older, I get more confident in my decision not to be a mother.

But I know it, I see it everywhere, there are so many people out there who have that instinct, that yearning to be a parent.  They have so much love to share, and so much caring in their hearts... it hurts you to see them want that so badly and not be able to do anything about it.  Circumstances sometimes interfere in what we want in life.  Maybe we have health problems, maybe we have family problems, there can be a thousand different reasons why it doesn't work out for some people who want to have children.  It's tough.  It's heartbreaking.  And I imagine it's especially hard around this time of year.  Wanting to have a family to share traditions with and not being able to... wanting to share the magic of Christmas with a child... it must be very, very tough.

I know that you know there are a lot of kids in the foster system right now. I know  you know that a lot of those kids are looking for homes.  For families.  For love and support.  For someone to come home to and tell them about how Jimmy in math class is so weird or how Kelsey at recess finally did the double dutch jump rope today or how their favorite story was read at story time.

Maybe it's time that those kids found their families.  The average age of Missouri’s adopted children is about 6 years old.  Waiting children are, on average,
roughly 8 years old. For youth age 9 and older, the likelihood of being adopted drops significantly.  So today, I decided to go through Adopt Us Kids and find some kids that are available to meet right here in Missouri.  It's certainly not a simple process to adopt a kid, or even to enter a kid's life, and the decision should never be taken lightly, but... for someone, it might be a start.  Maybe it could be a beginning of a conversation.

I randomly chose 30 kids from the database, I couldn't possibly share them all. There are plenty more kids on the site, if you want to check it out at the link above. Let's meet these kids!

Adoptable Kids in Missouri

They all seem so smart and hard working, and their individual interests really  make them shine.   Again, I know the decision to adopt is a huge one, and it shouldn't be taken lightly, but if you were thinking about it, know there are some great kids who would love to meet you.  And again, there are certainly more than thirty kids who are looking for families, but I only have so much space here.  Either way, I hope all the kid out there in foster families have an amazing holiday season.

Sincerely yours,
Behka

See How School Cafeteria Meals Have Changed Over the Past 100 Years

Using government and news reports, Stacker has traced the history of cafeteria meals from their inception to the present day, with data from news and government reports. Read on to see how various legal acts, food trends, and budget cuts have changed what kids are getting on their trays.

Gallery Credit: Madison Troyer

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