Here’s a story, a
speech about one of my baby brothers that I wrote 3 years ago. I love you Carl Elijah Camp. (He recently turned five).
AT 3 DAYS OLD, HE HAD A MOMMY, A DADDY, 3 BROTHERS, AND 3 SISTERS. HE HAD
A BLANKIE, MANY SETS OF CLOTHES, A NEVER ENDING SUPPLY OF BABY FORMULA, AND A FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION. WHAT HE DIDN’T
HAVE WAS A NAME. NOT AT 3 DAYS OLD, NOT
AT 30 DAYS OLD. YES, THE STORK FORGOT TO
BRING WITH HIM A BIRTH CERTIFICATE, AS WELL AS ANY TYPE OF FAMILY HISTORY.
THEY SIMPLY CALLED HIM “BABY BOY� BUT WE CALLED HIM ELIJAH, WHICH
MEANS UNDER THE LORDS WATCH IN
HEBREW.
NOW THE LORD IS DEFINITELY HIS GOD AS WELL, FOR THE LORD LITERALLY RESCUED
ELIJAH FROM WHAT I WILL CALL HIS “BAGGAGE�.
YOU SEE, ELIJAH WAS BORN ADDICTED TO COCAINE
AND MARIJUANA, NOT BY HIS DOING BUT BY THE WORK OF HIS MOTHER.
HIS WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS INCLUDED EXPERIENCING BODY TREMORS, WHICH ARE TWITCHES
OR SHAKES, FROM BIRTH TO APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS OLD. LUCKILY FOR ELIJAH, THAT
WAS AS FAR AS HIS SYMPTOMS WENT AND HE DID NOT SUFFER ANY MENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
HE LEARNED TO TALK AND HE LEARNED TO WALK. IN FACT, ELIJAH EXHIBITED ALL CHILD
DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES AT A NORMAL OR ABOVE NORMAL RATE AS COMPARED WITH OTHER
CHILDREN IN HIS AGE GROUP, DESPITE HIS PRE-BIRTH BAGGAGE.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ELIJAH DID NOT FALL INTO THE TRAP OF ADDICTION, AFTER ALL HE NEVER KNEW THE HIGHS OF DRUGS,
ONLY THE LOW AND ANNOYING SIDE EFFECTS THAT COME WITH WITHDRAWAL. HE
BREAKS ALL STEREOTYPES OF SO CALLED CRACK
BABIES.
HE DOES NOT LIVE ON THE STREETS. INSTEAD OF STEALING FROM A CONVENIENCE STORE
AT AN EARLY AGE, HE ONLY SHARES. INSTEAD OF FALLING INTO PORNOGRAPHY AND
VIOLENCE, HE FOCUSES SOLELY ON MORNING CARTOONS AND AFTERNOON RE-RUNS OF MR.
ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD. INSTEAD OF FALLING BACK INTO ADDICTION, HE’D RATHER
HAVE A COOKIE. AND A COOKIE HE WILL HAVE.
ELIJAH IS A ROCKSTAR
KID. HE CAN BRING A SMILE TO MY FACE WITHOUT OPENING HIS MOUTH. BUT WHEN HE
DOES OPEN HIS MOUTH BY SIMPLY REPEATING A WORD I SAY, FOR EXAMPLE “ALL-WHY-TEE�,
A CERTAIN UNIQUE JOY
ENTERS MY HEART. HE MAKES ME REALIZE THAT MY POINT IN LIVING IS NOT
ABOUT WHATEVER I AM STRESSING OVER THAT DAY. FOR EXAMPLE, HE TEACHES ME ABOUT
MYSELF. HIS STORY MOTIVATES ME TO BE A BETTER SISTER TO ALL OF MY BROTHERS, TO
LOVE HIM FOR HIM, AND TO COME HOME EARLY FROM A NIGHT OUT JUST TO KISS HIM GOOD
NIGHT. ASIDE FROM THE LOVE AND JOY HE BRINGS MY FAMILY, ELIJAH ALSO TEACHES MY
FAMILY PATIENCE, KINDNESS, AND HUMILITY
TO THE WORLD AROUND US. AND WHILE MOST PARENTS WOULD SAY THAT ABOUT THEIR
CHILDREN, HIS BIRTH MOM WOULD NOT. SHE COULD CARE LESS.
I PRAISE ELIJAH NOT BECAUSE HE HAS WON A GREAT REWARD OR BECAUSE HE HAS BECOME
A LEGEND, BUT BECAUSE HE IS SIMPLY LIVING A
NORMAL LIFE DESPITE HIS ODDS. HE HAS LEARNED TO PUT HIS TOYS AWAY AND LEARNED
TO LISTEN TO WHAT HE IS TOLD TO DO. HE HAS LEARNED TO USE A FORK AT THE TABLE
AS WELL AS WHEN TO TELL ME WHEN HE NEEDS TO GO POTTY. SO ASIDE FROM HAVING NO
NAME AT BIRTH, ELIJAH IS ACTUALLY MORE WELL OFF THAN MOST FOSTER CHILDREN IN
HIS SITUATION. AT AGE 2, HE WAS IN THE
PROCESS OF RECEIVING A FAMILY. LUCKILY,
HE DID NOT STAY WITH HIS MOTHER, THE
WOMAN WHO GAVE BIRTH TO HIM, FOR HE WILL MOST LIKELY NEVER KNOW WHO SHE WAS. INSTEAD,
HIS mama WILL BE THE WOMAN WHO WAS
UP WITH HIM ALL NIGHT ON DAY 3, THE WOMAN WHO
GAVE HIM HIS FIRST HAIRCUT AND WHO TAUGHT HIM TO READ. HIS MAMA IS AND WILL BE
LEGALLY MY MAMA. AT ABOUT 2 MONTHS OLD, ELIJAH ALSO FINALLY RECEIVED HIS BIRTH
CERTIFICATE, BUT WITH A NEW NAME, WHICH WE GRADUALLY STARTED USING: Carl Lee. (We
officially changed his name to Carl Elijah).
ELIJAH, ALSO, IS DIFFERENT IN ANOTHER WAY, EVEN FROM OTHER ADOPTED TODDLERS
LIKE HIMSELF IN AMERICA. SIMPLY PUT, ELIJAH IS BLACK AND MY FAMILY IS WHITE. HE
DOESN’T KNOW IT YET, BUT HE HAS ALREADY TRIUMPHED OVER ONE HURDLE AFTER ANOTHER
LEGALLY. BY SHOWING US HIS UNWAVERING LOVE, HE EASILY ALLOWED US TO FIGHT THE
COURTS IN CUSTODY BATTLES TO GRANT HIM REMOVAL FROM THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND
TO ENTER AS A SON AND BROTHER IN OUR HOME.
ELIJAH IS A SURVIVOR OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IN AMERICA. SINCE BIRTH, ELIJAH
HAS NEVER DONE DRUGS. NEITHER HAS HE PUNCHED THROUGH A WALL IN RAGE OR REBELLED
FROM MY HOME. EVEN THOUGH HE IS ONLY 5 AND DOES NOT YET UNDERSTAND HIS JOURNEY
BEGINNING IN THE WOMB, ELIJAH DESERVES A PAT ON THE BACK. WITH THE HELP OF THE
GOVERNMENT AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF MY FAMILY, HE HAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO LEARN
TO IGNORE RACIAL STEREOTYPES AND LOVE HIS WHITE FAMILY AS HIS OWN. I AM
PRAISING HIM BECAUSE HE IS ON THE ROAD TO BECOME A VERY INTELLIGENT KID WITH A
BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD OF HIM. SO THOUGH HE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE WORLD
TURNS, IT IS BLAMELESS CHILDREN LIKE HIM, STUCK WITH BAGGAGE AND DRAMA AT
BIRTH, WHO DESERVE TO BE PRAISED A LITTLE MORE OFTEN.
I love ya buddy.
Here’s a recent picture of all of my “baby” brothers.
Brendon- 11
Patrick- 8
Carl- 5
