Vernon was graced today by a visit from a very special family. They came all the way from Nashville, Tennessee, just to sing a song for him. Well, it wasn’t the only reason they came out. They were visiting family in Southern California anyway, but they did take out an afternoon to see him, and they had come with a special song they had practiced for him.
The Broadway family is very dear to my heart. They have an amazing story of their own. Katherine is like a cousin to me because our families have been close since we were young. After she and Scott married, ovarian cancer dashed her dream of bearing children. But some years later, they were able to adopt little Abbie.
That alone felt like a miracle to the couple—and to everyone who had watched them on their journey of grief and acceptance (and then hope and possibility.) Then, three and a half years later, they were informed of another mother who was about to give birth and was putting her child up for adoption. With open arms and hearts, they welcomed little Josie.
Their two bedroom apartment was getting a little tight, but they were thrilled to be the parents they always wanted to be, now to sisters! Katherine had left her nursing job to care for the girls and Scott got a teaching job at a high school. About a year later, they were informed that Abbie’s mother was about to give birth again and unable to keep the baby girl. Though they weren’t looking to adopt another, they had first dibs so they could keep the biological sisters together. Of course they couldn’t resist bringing Becca into their family.
I’ve heard it said that with each child you have, your heart somehow grows to make room. You don’t split up a allotted amount of affection; instead, your love multiplies. This must be the case, because a year later, the Broadways got another surprise call. Mother number two, Josie’s mother was going to be delivering another baby soon, and did they want to take her so the sisters could stay together? At this point, they were laughing at the providence. They had been unable to have children, and now they were given more than they had room for!
The family moved to Nashville two years ago and have set up a good life for themselves. The kids are in a great school, where their dad teaches, and Katherine has gone back to nursing work in a job she says she loves. Now they have a home with enough growing space for all the sisters. I believe there is even a tree with a swing in the front yard.
It’s remarkable to witness the growth of this wild and beautiful family, especially since I haven’t seen them in two years. But more importantly, whenever I see Scott and Katherine with their four girls (or even pictures of them) I remember what a miraculous story they have. From the depths of despair and broken hopes, abundant goodness grew…beyond their wildest dreams! 
They thought they were coming to maybe cheer Vernon up with a song and a little company today, but they also brought much more…a real-life reminder that nothing is impossible. And what the future holds may be better than what you lost, you just can’t imagine it yet.