Dear Mom and Dad,
A little over 7 years ago, I was just a teenager waiting in an orphanage hoping someone would adopt me and my siblings that I love so much. Waiting in an orphanage for over two years seemed like an eternity. Not because I hated the orphanage or the people there, but because I knew it wasn’t my forever home. I felt lost, forgotten, and unloved. I felt hopeless and unwanted. I prayed and cried out to God to give me a family each day. But during those days I felt like God was far away and I couldn’t feel his presence. I asked Him why He doesn’t love me the way He loves all my best friends that got adopted before me. I didn’t feel like He was giving me any answers.
Then came the day were I was told you were going to be my forever parents. Let me tell you something, that was one of the best and greatest days of my life! I remember, after you sent me a picture of the family, I put the album where I could see it every morning. I couldn’t contain my joy knowing I finally had a forever family that believes I am worth traveling across the world for. Worth their time and money. Worth every difficult situation I would put them through. Worth loving. Worth fighting for. To say you have changed my life is a huge understatement. I know you couldn’t have done any of what you have done without the help of the One that’s a father to the fatherless and lover of the forgotten and broken. So, thank you! Thank you for being my parents. Thank you for giving me another chance at life to reach my full potential. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for gently correcting me when I am wrong. Thank you for leading me by your examples rather than just words. Thank you for being my role models. Thank you for showing me what it truly looks like to follow Christ. Thank you for being patient with me as I deal through my past. I know at times I might be hard to approach. I know at times it seems like I am not happy or pleased to be your daughter. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I am so blessed to be your daughter. Sometimes I spend too much time focusing on my past rather than enjoying the present. That’s why I seem sad.
I want you both to know, I love you with everything that I am. I am so proud to be your daughter. You will always be my forever mom and dad. Nothing will ever replace the place I have for you in my heart. I know I can never repay you for everything you have done for me, but I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for being the best parents a girl could ever ask for. You were worth the wait. Now I know the years where I felt like God was far away from me He was just trying to teach me patience and to have hope through the good and bad times. Love you both so incredibly much!
Your daughter,
Sisay
