Who you are

What defines who you are?  Is it where you were born?
Is it what family raised you?  Is it your name on your birth certificate?
For six and a half years you were Jared Michael Taylor
You were Jolie and Aleeya's brother. You were Megan and Stuart's son.
 Does who you are go away because some court made a ruling?
For over 2000 days  24hours a day, 7 days a week. We were a family. That doesn't change because a court said so  You will never stop being in our family. There will always be a place for you at our table and in our hearts.  When the judge asked us six and a half years ago to be your parents, we said yes.  We took you into our arms, into our hearts and into family.  Now the same people who asked us to be your parents, who said Take care of my son, who asked us to adopt you. The court who said Adoption is forever. Has now said.You are no longer our son.. They have taken you away. They have taken your name, your whole world away. And poof now you are someone else.  With a new mom and dad, new set of grandparents a whole new world.. I guess kids do that all the time right?  Parents are interchangable these days.. Families are too..That doesn't erase the six and half years of memories.. Six and half years of living as Jared Michael Taylor. Of being a boy in a huge family that loves you, with lots of friends who love you.  That doesn't change who you are. We hope that you remember the good times.  You remember the laughter, the silly times. We know life isn't always the fun times. Family is where you are sad, mad and glad. You laugh and you cry. Family is teamwork. Where we all work together to get the job done.  Family is learning how to be a person of character. Learning wrong from right, learning to make good choices. Family teaches you what it means be  truthful instead of lying. How to show you care, How to be honest. Family teaches you how to learn how to be responsible, how to be a hard worker instead of lazy, how to serve others instead of always being served. How to put others first, instead of wanting the world to revolve around you.. Family makes you into the truthful, honest, caring, loving person that you are.  You get your identity from who raised you, who taught you wrong from right. Who taught you manners, who taught you to be kind and generous.  That doesn't come from who you were born from it comes from who raised you. You will always be apart of our family. Because that is who you are.