I remember the first day I met you. Sitting in that car in a bay somewhere on the edge of the Isle of Wight. Not knowing what lay waiting for me. When we met in April – was it really the beginning of our journey? A change that we both resisted somewhat. Or was August the beginning of our journey? It was probably both.

You weren’t the first man and woman I called by the name of Dad and Mum. It goes without saying, without a doubt, that you’ve earned it. Breaking down my walls, gentle persistence, gentle love to keep me going when I crash to the floor unable to see a way forward. Helping me to have dreams and hopes for my future, wanting the best for me. Opening a door for me to understand what it is like to be a part of a family that is supportive and loving. Not criticising but gently encouraging.

You gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person – you believed in me, you made time for me, you valued me and appreciated me.  To love me like your own is the true definition of a father and a mother.

On difficult days, I’m learning to be confident that I will be okay because I have your unwavering support and I know that I am not alone. I know that you will always be with me.  You adopted a role called being a father and a mother so that I can learn what unconditional love means through your eyes and learning all about God’s true nature.

Thank you for opening the door wide for me, for allowing me to be me and for not giving up on me even when the going was getting hard. There were so many occasions where you could have given up on me, rejected me, but no instead you carried on loving me. I never understood why. I still don’t understand why. But I am so very thankful to the Lord our God who has brought us to each other.

I resisted at first. My walls highs. My heart closed. I didn’t know if I should risk letting you in but I did. And it brought me on one of the best adventures of my life. Thank you for all that you do for me, thank you that you love me, thank you that you treat me like your very own daughter and that I am not a burden. Thank you for your patience. Thank you. Soon, it’ll be a year since I came to the island and when our journey really began. I’ll always  be very thankful for this. Thankful that you picked me up from the ferry as if you were welcoming your lost daughter home from a trip gone wrong.

I love you Mum and Dad – for all the things that you’ve done for me, for letting me be me an for allowing me to cry in your arms when I needed to cry. Thank you for the hugs that said more than words ever could.  I hope you know that I appreciate you.