Carissa Wingate and Heavenly love to spend time together playing outside, cooking dinner, creating art projects or shopping. “I love watching her just love life,” Wingate says about Heavenly. “I love watching her embrace our family traditions and knowing that it’s now her family and her tradition. She knows she’s a part of it.”
• • •
It’s been two years since Wingate adopted Heavenly. They have settled into as much of a routine as life will allow. Mornings can be a whirlwind, Wingate admits, neither of them being morning people. Heavenly goes to kindergarten and Wingate works at an
alternative high school doing drug and alcohol intervention. Her job can be demanding so she relishes coming home with Heavenly. They cook dinner together, color or play outside. Every Friday night, they have a girl’s night where they eat pizza for dinner, watch a movie and paint each other’s nails. And at night, they
cuddle together and read before bedtime. Sometimes, Wingate will rock Heavenly to sleep. “It’s not always just wonderful,” Wingate says, “but it’s crazy how much I’ve learned, grown and stretched. We’ve helped each other. And I would say my love for Heavenly is a crazy big love, that love where you’re willing to put your life on the line and your feathers get ruffled when they tell you that a kid is not being nice to them. You want to go to bat for whatever is best for your kid.” For Heavenly Joy, the feeling is mutual.
“I love being adopted because my mom loves me, and I know she’ll always love me and take care of me.” n
24 Buckner Today • SPRING 2015 ISSUE
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