It came to her one day and she just knew. It was inexplicable, but when the time arrived for her to be the mother to two little girls who arrived at SOS as part of a sibling group of six, what she had known all along settled into a warm and comfortable space in her heart.
Meet Rashani Boynton and her daughters Kai and Karlie who are seven and eight years old. Kai was just eleven months and the youngest of her siblings when she was placed into foster care. It all started when Rashini, who was working at SOS as a Life Coach in the Next Steps program and filled in as a respite support staff in some of the homes helping the foster parents. She noticed immediately how well behaved this sibling group was and hoped that their mother would be able to do the work necessary to be reunified with her children. After some time had passed the children’s case manager shared that the children would all be placed for adoption and would more than likely be separated.
With adoption imminent, Rashini was faced with a heartfelt decision as to what she could do to ensure that the children would remain in each other’s lives. She spoke with Eric, who was also working at SOS, to see if they could arrive at a solution which would be in the best interest of the family, while addressing their desires to become parents.. eat some point. After prayer and several conversations Rashani and Eric decided that they would pursue adoption. Eric and his husband Jeremy moved forward with the four older siblings, and Rashini with the two youngest girls. For them this was the perfect solution as they were great friends and were committed to maintaining the family relationship between the children. On March 8th, 2019, they all became parents and after having been with her girls at the Village for the prior three years, Rashani became their mom!
When asked what the biggest changes in her life are since becoming a mom, Rashani’s responses are all ones which most can relate.
- Worries more and always puts them first
- Appreciation for her own mother has grown
- Increased patience
- Loves harder
- Gives all that she has and then some
The girls are thriving and have developed their own interests. They enjoy cooking and their pallets have matured as they enjoy asparagus, stuffed mushrooms, avocado toast, and brussel sprouts. There is always laughter in their home as they spend quality time doing art projects, watching movies, getting pampered, and even spending quiet time during meditation. They get together with their siblings on holidays, birthdays, and summer vacations as they live in Fort Lauderdale and their siblings are in Tennessee.
We wish Rashani and everyone who has the role ofa mother in someone’s life a very special Mother’s Day. It takes a Village to raise a child and when provided with a safe and loving environment, children flourish.
