My Family Met A New Friend Right When We Needed It

Have you ever met a stranger that you feel was placed in your path for a reason?

Last night my family went out to dinner at the Chili's on Eagle Road. It was a last minute decision because we spent a little too long running errands and shopping at the Village at Meridian and it was an easy stop on the way home.

We had a great server named Kristina. She was sweet and attentive to our table and all of the others in her section.

Towards the end of our meal she looked at our oldest son, Jaden, and asked if he was adopted. At first, that question always throws us off guard. Anyone who has experienced adoption or has adopted a child that may not look like them, may understand. Once your child is home, you honestly forget. To you, they are your child and at times you forget that they weren't born to you naturally. I know it sounds silly, but everyone I have ever spoken to who has adopted a child that doesn't share similar physical traits, has said the same thing. We don't notice the differences in skin color or facial features like people on the outside looking in. We don't take offense, because we know that most of the time, people are just genuinely interested. Our family welcomes questions and interest about adoption. We are huge advocates and have experienced almost every type and journey.

We always look to Jaden when a question comes up about this topic. It is his story to tell if he chooses, and with how open and positive we are about adoption, he doesn't mind sharing parts of his journey. He believes, as do we, that his journey and story is one that may not have started out happy, but can now give hope and reassurance to others who are in similar situations. We happily answered, "yes" to Kristina's question. She went on to tell us that she was also adopted. She was actually adopted from another country at the age of 5, just the same age that Jaden was.

Our conversation quickly turned to more personal questions on both sides. We instantly felt a connection to Kristina, as her story was sounding more and more like Jaden's. She is 22 now and a lot of what Jaden has gone through, and continues to go through, she experienced as well. All I can say is that meeting Kristina last night when we did was perfect timing for my family, and most importantly, for Jaden. She shared with us an author and books that may be helpful to him now and in the future.

Once we left, I called Chili's and asked Kristina if I could share our experience and she enthusiastically agreed.

I love meeting new people and when you meet someone who has such a personal and emotional impact on you, it just feels amazing. Take time to connect with people you come across, you never know whose life you will change.