You Capture - Hopeful

I took pictures this week, and as I released the shutter I didn't realize that those pictures celebrating love and family would fit in the category of HOPEFUL. Not until later that evening when we attended a celebration party. As my neighbor greeted us at the door, he was wearing a shirt that simply said "Got Hope?" And BINGO a light bulb went off in my head and it all made sense! (of course I didn't have my camera with me then)

Monday, TOF and I made a trip to Family Court. I'm not a stranger to Family Court, it's typically a place where people hash out their differences regarding child custody and/or support. But Monday was different, everyone was happy and I didn't feel the usual stress and tension. We had the honor of attending the Adoption Finalization Hearing for our long time neighbors and dear friends. Really decent people, professionals, who I never had a doubt would make awesome parents someday. Unfortunately, infertility reared it's ugly head and the road to adoption was a difficult one with several birth mothers changing their mind shortly after delivery.

Through it all, this is a couple that remained HOPEFUL and their persistence finally paid off when on March 1, 2010, the judge declared Baby Jay Z no longer their foster son, nor their adopted son, but their son, in the same way and with all the same rights as any child that would have been naturally born to them. When he brought down his gavel there wasn't a dry eye in the courtroom.

Thanks for stopping by, be sure to check out all the other HOPEFUL posts today.