One of our FFAS kids, now a young adult, wrote a poem to open up the evening on Friday night. His name is David Whitaker. His words just floored me, when I finally got a chance to concentrate on them. It was a wonderful gift for Maris. And for me. Different words for the same concept: “If Not For You….”
Ohana
“Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind”
I’m going to tell you a story
And though I am no Bard,
This may catch you a lil off guard.
This is a story of a woman and her friend
And the countless lives they set out to mend.
The woman with a heart so big
Love glowed upon her, a gift from the gods
And extreme maternal instincts put her above all odds
For no one could get in her way.
The man, her friend, with a mind so wise
Had skills of the word, for he should be the Bard.
But the two friends had a plan to devise
After life had shown them their calling card.
These two friends took their hearts and mind
To find all the children that were left behind
Any child from any land, far or near
Black or white, young or old, normal or queer
Each child they met
Only erased their doubt
Through worry or fret
Or State backing out
They had to give these kids a home
And that they did.
The two friends found each a family, a good shalom
Many years and many more lives
The love and care in their hearts still thrives
Till this day they’ve worked so hard
So now it’s time to toss that punch card
But before you go, I’ve got just one thing,
Thank you for not leaving me behind.
=====================================
Thank you, David.
Jack
Jack Brennan Perspectives 
Rare is the adoption agency that has its own resident poet. Thank you, David, from all of us, and especially me.
I just stumbled upon this and instantly thought of Family Focus – you’ve probably seen it already. But a mom who adopted a 13 year old son recreated baby pictures of him for his “announcement”. Pretty neat. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/at_13_years_old_adopted_newborn_son_gets_the_baby_photos_he_never_had.html