My son's best friend has been staying with us since the weekend because his parents are away on business. I am always surprised how easily he fits into the rhythm and flow of our family when he stays over. He and my son are always spending the night back and forth between their two houses for days at a time, going out of town with each other's families, etc. This is the first time he's ever stayed for such a long stretch. His mom will be arriving shortly from the airport to take him home. I know he misses his parents and they miss him, but my son, of course, wants him to stay. I want him to stay, too. Forever! I joked with both of them about that yesterday and we all agreed it would be a pretty neat arrangement. Two boys and two girls and two parents.

The other week I was outside when I saw another one of my son's friends who lives across the street getting into the car with his grandmother. I yelled out that we were having hotdogs for dinner if he wanted to come over. He said, "Yeah, great!" As his grandmother was closing the car door she said, "Aww, did you hear that? He said it's just like he has a second family."

Several of my friends have made me a "godmother" to their children. It is an honor and a privilege to be designated as such by them. Each of my godchildren are very special to me and I try to make sure that they know it. I wouldn't hesitate to raise any of them as my own under any circumstance that might dictate such an arrangement.

I hear that some mothers, when they are about to have a second child, fret over whether they will be able to love another child as much as they love the first. I hear that all mothers discover their love multiplies abundantly and that is the end of that worry.

It seems to be unusually easy for me to love a second child, a third child, no matter how they are added to the familiy. Heck, it is easy for me to love other people's children period. (Not to be confused with being saddled with other people's children. More on that another time.) I don't know if the ease with which I "adopt" other children is a character flaw or a character strength. Could there be such a thing as an adoptive parent temperament, or an adopting disposition, or an adopting spirit? Perhaps. If there is, then I think I have such a spirit residing inside of me.