Happy Adoption Day

Baby Matthew on the first day we met him, February 2, 1990.

February 2, 1990 - 31 years ago today - started out as a typical Friday in Longmont Colorado where Bonnie and I were living at the time, with our little Sarah, not yet 2 years old. I headed in to the IBM office early, as I often did. I was at my desk working, and actually on a phone call, when I saw an incoming phone message. (Those were the "olden days" pre-cellphone and text message.) After finishing up my business, I listened to the message. It was Bonnie, choked with emotion and anxiety, saying, "Dave - call me, as soon as possible!" I worried that something was wrong with our Sarah - couldn't think what else could generate that kind of emotion. I quickly called her and asked what was wrong. She burst out, "LDS Social Services called - they have a baby boy for us! TODAY!! Come home!"
Shortly after our marriage two years earlier, and while Bonnie was expecting our baby Sarah, I was diagnosed with cancer that would eventually leave us unable to have any more biological children of our own. When we moved from Virginia to Colorado in the spring of 1989, we had applied for adoption. The process was pretty closed back then. Based on what we were told by the agency, we were not expecting to be "eligible" for placement for several more months. But apparently there was a change of policy we were not aware of, and when this particular baby came available, he was the perfect match for us based on characteristics of the biological parents, and so we were moved up the list. Someone was supposed to call us the night before to schedule our appointment to pick up the baby, but they got confused about who would do it, and so we got the last-minute call in the morning. I rushed home, cried with Bonnie, and then we hurried down to the office in Denver to pick up our new 2-week-old son. We stopped at WalMart on the way back to pick up essential baby supplies!
We named him Matthew Walter. The name "Matthew" means "gift from God," and we have always considered him to be that for us. Walter was my own father's name.
We remember "Matthew Adoption Day" each year on February 2. I could not have been a prouder papa back then; and I couldn't be today either. I #GiveThanks all the time for this "gift from God" who, along with his big sister, has been such a joy and blessing in my life.

Father and son, a few months later.

Father, son, and grandpuppy - about 26 years later.


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