This week, I have been writing about medicating my adopted child for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the emotions that this process has evoked in me. I want to end this series on a positive note.

Yes, dealing with my son's special needs has been hard, but he is much more than a walking special need. He is a great kid. He is smart, funny, warm, loving, forgiving, and incredibly funny. The child is almost always positive and in a good mood.

My son has a great sense of humor that is as warped and weird as mine is. Out of nowhere, he will say something like, "Hey, Mom! Meatball!" It makes me crack up laughing every time because it is so random and wonderfully weird. We both have the same favorite joke: Why did the monkey fall out of the tree? He died. (People find that joke either hilarious or stupid. I laughed for fifteen minutes the first time I heard it.)

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When I chose to adopt him, I did not choose to adopt a child with a special need. My husband and I were adamant about adopting a healthy child, and when he was born, he appeared to be completely healthy. However, life threw us a couple of curve balls with his asthma and ADHD, and we have had to rise to the occasion. Adopted children do not come with warranties.

Yes, raising my son is challenging, but it is also the biggest blessing I have experienced. I would not be a mother without him. Being his mom defines who I am and how I spend my time in many ways, and I really do love my life, despite the rough patch of the past couple of weeks.

Photo credit: Lynda Bernhardt