THANK YOU, MOMS
WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK May/June 2020
Honoring My Wife for Her Dedication to Our Children
M y wife, Karoline, and I were married for 10 years before we became parents. By that point, we had endured a handful of heartbreaking adoptions that fell through. But on a Tuesday nearly 20 years ago, a phone call changed everything. Karoline and I were asked if we would be willing to adopt four siblings — infant twins, a 3-year-old, and a 5-year-old — from Texas. We had 48 hours to decide. I immediately called my wife, and we looked to our pastor for guidance. We wanted to be parents, but taking on four little mouths to feed in one swing was a lot at once. We decided that we could either walk away or disrupt our life, walk through that door, and leave it all in God’s hands.
amazing to watch her become a mom and continue to be so dedicated to each one of our children. That is why I believe it’s important that we continue to honor our moms each May on Mother’s Day. There are so many things moms do for us that go unnoticed, but they teach us so much. They teach us how to press on. They teach us to be loving and kind. They teach us to be compassionate. They pick us up, push us forward, and support us along the way. My own mother supported me every day and pushed me to be the man I am today. I am thankful for her every day. Karoline continues to offer that to our kids, too. One of her greatest strengths is her innate ability to connect with others, and I have no doubt that this encouragement, compassion, and connection to others has made her the mom she is today. Everyone loves her because she is the kindest, most wonderful woman you will ever meet. Today, those four small children we picked up in Texas are now 22, 20, and seniors in high school, and we could not be prouder of them. Our eldest son is an HVAC technician and will be getting married soon. His younger sister, our eldest daughter, is in the culinary arts and manages an Italian brick-oven pizza restaurant. And our twins are seniors in high school. Our youngest son has plans to begin his own fishing charter business after high school — he’s always loved the water — while our youngest daughter plans to attend the University of South Carolina Beaufort. She hopes to someday help kids like her, who were in the foster care system or adopted. I have no doubt that our children’s successes and passions spring from the nurturing they received from their mother throughout their childhood. I am so glad our children have a mother as strong as Karoline, just as I’m thankful to have a mother as strong as mine, too.
We chose the four children in Texas who needed a home.
Throughout this adventure, I’ve had the privilege of watching my wife seamlessly transform into a mother. She was
built to be a mom. When we adopted our four kids, my day didn’t change too much once I left the house. I still went to work, filed reports, and served my clients, and when I came home, I had four kids to play with, teach, and put to bed. But Karoline has spent 8–10 hours of her day for the past 20 years ensuring the kids have an amazing life. I witnessed how quickly she could adapt from an empty home to one filled with love, care, and attention for those kids. She became a nurse, a teacher, and a psychologist almost overnight to offer those kids a support system that only moms can provide. The mom is truly the glue that holds entire families together. In fact, there were many times my wife had to play peacekeeper in our family, ensuring we continued together as a strong family unit that supported one another. It has been truly
803.366.0333 197 S Herlong Avenue Rock Hill, SC 29732 843.379.5006 78 Sams Point Road Beaufort, SC 29907 803.285.2900 302 N Main St. c Lancaster, SC 29720 843.341.9418 16 William Pope Drive Suites 101 & 103 Bluffton, SC 29909
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
–Bennett Schiller
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