Birth Certificate Typo

So, Primero has court last Tuesday. Nothing new has changed in his case, other than with his brother being in care and his mother being incarcerated. The county did receive his original birth certificate and they found and problem with it – his name is different on his birth certificate than the name he uses. It seems like a simple typo, reversing a few letters, but it presents a small snafu to the whole adoption process. It’s kind of silly because he will get a new birth certificate once he is adopted and we could change his name at that point, if we so choose.

 

The adoption case worker said she had presented the paperwork to Primero’s mother a week or so ago and his mother just cried and couldn’t bring herself to sign the papers. The case worker planned to visit his mother again to see if she was ready to sign the paperwork and Primero asked her to say, on his behalf, that he would like her to sign the papers. I said I wanted to reassure his mother that we would not be cutting off all ties and that she could and I would encourage them to interact and have regular contact. But, I understand how hard it must be, how signing those papers would irrevocably change her life and the weight she must feel in that decision. Still, we hope she will find the strength to sign the papers and make the process go a little more smoothly for Primero’s adoption.

 

I could not love this boy an ounce more, even if he were mine by blood. I could not have imagined a more perfect son to call my own. We were texting after court and Primero stole just a little more of my heart with the sweet words he had to say.

“And I am happy that you are there for me. I finally have someone in my life that I can count on and I am happy about that and I am happy that it is you.”

I told him “Sometimes I worry that it’s just all too good to be true. I can’t have such a perfect, wonderful, amazing, fantastic, resilient, beautiful boy to call my son. My heart is bursting with joy and happiness.”

To which he said, “And sometimes I just think like I am living someone else’s life. I came from a very sh**ty life to one where I have everything I always wanted like a perfect mother that cares and that is sweet and kind and beautiful and amazing in so many ways.”  

How does this child not make your heart melt into a little mushy puddle? How could anyone believe that he is a troubled child, bound to tear my heart into oblivion with his wicked ways (like my former Pastora)? What teenage boy would say these kinds of things to his mother? He is such a good kid, sometimes it is almost hard to believe he is as good as he is. And the change I see in him, from when he first moved in until now is so profound and so inspiring. Here was a young man about to give up on himself, about to cast himself into the same troubled life he had always known, give up, stop trying. Then, in six short months, he’s the kid who is striving to do his best, to prove he can do better than before, putting forth amazing effort and dedication. All he needed was someone to be there for him, to love him for who he is and to not let him give up on himself. I can’t and I won’t take credit for the changed young man because it was all him. Primero dug deep and he found the courage to not give up. He found a reason to try and to try harder. He is my greatest blessing and my greatest inspiration. I am so proud of my son and so honored to call him mine.