My daughter might decide not to have children. In her mid-thirties she has a successful career as the Chief Advocacy Officer for a thriving criminal justice organization, she has a fabulous group of friends with whom she travels the world, and she has a dog. Domestic bliss isn't currently a priority. 

I'm okay with that. Her father and I had had a difficult (and that’s an understatement) marriage, and while motherhood has been the most meaningful experience of my life, I understand why she might not want to embark on that adventure. Children are expensive and exhausting. The uncertainty alone can kill you. So, I'm fine with whatever she decides. After all, it's her life and her choice. 

However, I would love to be a grandmother. I listen in rapt attention to my friends talking about their grandkids. I ooh and ahh over pictures of babies, toddlers, and teenagers. I keep thinking there should be a way to adopt grandkids. Blood isn’t that important. After all, my mother used to disdainfully point out that grandparents have only contributed one quarter of any child’s genetic make up and it only gets more diluted after that. 

But I had no idea how to “adopt” a grandchild. On a few occasions a student of mine would get pregnant, and I would be on hand to offer encouragement and support, no matter what  choice she made. I thought I might be that person who came into help when the baby was born, but that never turned out to be the case. If they chose to have the baby, there was plenty of family support back home, where they immediately moved. 

So there I was with all these grandmotherly feelings and nowhere to put them. Then the universe came along and said, “You want a grandchild? How about eight?” 

I took a deep breath and said, “well, okay.” 

So now there are eight children, ages 4 to 15, in whom I am invested. I cannot post pictures, names or any identifying information about them because the situation in our country right now is what it is. So instead I've posted a picture of my dog. I'm going to leave it at that. 

But I can share stories of this journey I've embarked upon. I hope you'll follow along.