An Open Letter to My Daughter
Ariifeoluwa Sibyl
Arii, 아리야!
Where do I even start? Before you, I explored the world with a jaded, narrow heart. And then our story began when we got that call from our worker about a baby girl needing a placement — on that late night in May 2020 at 11:49 pm. Dad and I heeded the call, and that remains one of the best decisions we have ever made. The instant I laid eyes on you, you began crying. I didn’t show it, but I was crying on the inside too. Because I didn’t know how I was gonna keep us both alive.
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The placement we had before you stayed with us for two nights, so I was sure you’d be transferred as well within a week or less. The rulebook said not to bond with you, but there was no way that was going to happen. Because to behold you, Beloved, was to fall in love with you. You were and still are so easy to love.
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We did not know how long you’d be placed with us, so we tried to make every day as magical and meaningful as possible — which helped me be the most intentional parent I could be. I remember holding you in tears some nights, feeling my heart grow larger, praying to God we could keep you permanently. My anxiety got the best of me every time we had to go to court and listen in on the case progression. But then days rolled…
