Goddess: Erin

Today I'm so pleased to tell you about a goddess named Erin. I had this whole other post planned, about a great organization powered by great women, where you can give and be a part of something huge. I'll share that with you next week. This week, however, I just kept coming back to Erin (who so creatively helped me design this website), and wanting to share her with you. She doesn't know that I'm writing this about her, so I'll keep the details vague to protect her privacy, since I didn't get her permission. Below is a picture of Erin's back as she sits in a beach chair:

Erin is one of those women who is just like many people you and I know. She's a mom, wife, sister, daughter, and friend. Erin has three kids. She has a huge heart and a quiet power, and that's what sets her apart. Erin doesn't care so much about what is popular or trendy- she follows what she knows is right for her life.

Erin and her husband got married upon graduating from college. But unlike most recent college grads or newlyweds, they didn't settle down in pursuit of the American Dream. Instead, they took off for Africa to work with children in desperate situations. They helped to love, feed, and play with the kids who needed these actions desperately. Erin and her husband are Christians, and they wanted to take their faith literally and care for the orphans and the widows as their faith teaches them to do.

It was at this orphanage in Africa that the young couple met two children who had been orphaned. They were siblings, and the Americans fell in love with them. Erin and her husband were young, and the rules of the world dictated that adopting these kids would be foolish and not worth it. But Erin saw something else. She saw hope. She and her husband returned to the US to gather paperwork and took the necessary steps to adopt their children an ocean and a continent away. Erin waded through the adoption process by herself, knowing that she was forging a trail in a country that hadn't allowed many adoptions of their orphans. Months and months later, they finally received word that the adoption had been approved, and Erin went to be reunited with her children, and brought them into her life and her family for the rest of time.

Erin recently had a third child, and her older kids are totally in love with their new baby. In the years following the adoption of her kids, Erin has answered countless questions about adoption from her kids' native land, and has helped many families navigate the adoption system and process. Oftentimes Erin gets a family started and never hears from them again... she never gets the recognition or thanks that she deserves from the adoption community.

I think that part of this is that Erin refuses to compromise her family's welfare. She doesn't run some huge organization to help hundreds of people, and she doesn't seek attention for the work that she does with adoptive families or with her kids. She would be the first to admit that she's not perfect, but she does her best each day to do what's right by her family, especially her kids. Her older kids need special love and attention, as many kids "from hard places" do. She is unapologetic about her life of hard work and sacrifice to be sure her kids not only survive, but thrive. And she does all of this under the radar, without boasting or seeking glory.

Erin is such an awesome example of living what you believe, and I'm so honored to feature her as our goddess this week. Erin, you are amazing! Thank you for being you, and for showing strength and wisdom beyond your years. You are truly a goddess!