Everything starts with a dream - the dream of having a family, the thought of having a faithful companion in life, a companion to feel alive with. The feeling of being alive gets stronger when you hold your own child for the very first time - a child, which is the fruit of the love two people share. However, sometimes love is not enough and you find yourself in front of an impenetrable wall. In this moment the dream for a complete family falls apart. The feeling of being alive fades away and the world loses its colors.

Then comes a time, a time filled with doubts “Why can’t I have children? ... What is wrong with me? ... Maybe I am not with the right person?” You feel indifferent to everyone and everything that surrounds you. You think your dream will never come true and it is all over. And then a hope begins to shine through the mundane routine of your life. It is a hope that makes your world colorful again, little by little. The future with your loved one and your child, the child whose hand you are holding– the child who will hold yours in ten years’ time. The ray of sunshine asking “Why don’t we adopt a child?”.

Days pass with thoughts, conversations and reflections about adopting a child. The anxiety of filing documents and waiting until they are submitted. The anticipation of waiting for the child you want to raise with all your love. Then, after all the completed documents and all the verifications and details it stretches out again – time. Months, during which your application is being processed. Awaiting a reply on whether or not you are approved to become an adoptive parent. Followed by joy of received approval and enthusiasm about the future. Afterwards there comes a time in waiting for the proposal of a child for adoption. You receive information about the child and their photos. You agree to a meeting with the child that can become yours. Time raises doubts in your mind. “What if we do not like and suit each other? What if it cries and does not want to be with me? What if it does not like me? . . .” The shorter the time to the meeting becomes the more nervous and exhausted of all the questions and doubts you become. Then you see a woman walking up to you, bringing a sweet little man, who looks at you with his huge beautiful eyes, stretching its hands out to you while smiling. It’s like a volcano eruption of joy, happiness and love toward this child. All questions and doubts are forgotten.

Time does not matter anymore because you know you will adopt this child. Although you do not realize it, its toothless baby smile has already started putting back together the pieces of your broken dream of a family. You are aware there will be sleepless nights, worries and doubts about whether your little sunshine is alright, but the love you feel is bigger than the worries.

Afterwards, when your youth is gone your child will come to you and embrace you with boundless love. This will be the moment you remember all the difficulties and hard times you have been through to achieve happiness. Looking at your grandchildren through tearful eyes you will tell yourself “It was all worth it, all the suffering and all efforts were worth it!”

Everything starts with a dream . . .