The Long Goodbye

Our foster son will be reunited with his father this Friday. It is bittersweet, as I am happy for R. and his dad while at the same time I am so sad to say goodbye. Last week he said goodbye to all his friends and mentors at the East Atlanta Kids Club, an awesome organization we became involved in last year. R. has had the chance to participate in an array of fun activities. We watched him race in the annual bike rally and march in the East Atlanta Strut parade. R. and I got to make a wonderful lunch together for our community retirement home members which will always be a fond memory for me. I was tearing up watching him give hugs to a special group of people who have showed him so much love and support. This week he will be saying goodbye to all his friends and teachers at school. He is having his first sleep over with his best friend on Thursday. It’s a school night but his last chance before he leaves. I just want him to enjoy his last few days with us. We are going to have one last family movie night and go to his favorite restaurant. I hope that we can stay in contact with him. His dad said that we could take him for a weekend sometime. This meant so much to me…I just can’t imagine never seeing him again after sharing the last year and a half raising him. Tonight his father came to drop him off at our house after his weekend visit. We usually met at McDonalds. He moved most of R’s toys and his bike. It is going to feel very empty around here for awhile.