This year, Thanksgiving will finally be mashed potatoes and gravy for adopted sophomore Sharrieff Moore. For the first time since he can remember, he expects to celebrate the holiday with his entire family.
In previous years, Thanksgiving was never easy as pie. He and his three separated siblings overlooked the holiday due to devastating commotion, unsettling separation and heartbreaking tragedy. Despite the immeasurable trials that have confronted Sharrieff and his family, he says he still has a lot to be thankful for.
Without any contact or knowledge of his biological mother, and with his father deeply into drugs, Thanksgiving was chiefly spent at adoption agencies for the early part of his life, Sharrieff says. While other families filled plates and ate together, he hungered to become part of an unwavering household. For him, Thanksgiving was never about eating; it was about finding the essence and stability of family that others often take for granted.
In spite of his heartfelt desires, no one adopted him. In his mind, Thanksgiving had become a fictitious tale of togetherness that neither he, nor his siblings, could believe in.
Day after day, potential adoptive parents came and went, Sharrieff says. The number of possible options grew small. His hope fell each time a family left the adoption center without taking him along.
Just as his faith depleted, a woman emerged. “That woman was Angelina Moore,” says Sharrieff. He describes her as the loving and passionate caretaker who took him in. However, his adoptive mother could accommodate only him at the time, splitting up the small slice of family he had.
Being separated from his siblings only deferred his dreams. Moore worried his siblings would not find a permanent home, passing from hand to hand like side dishes at a dinner table.
Eventually, though, life did sweeten.
A year later, Sharrieff’s adoptive mother was able to take in his younger brother, Tyrone, 10, and his sisters Roneica, 12, and Camilla, 9. Now his adoptive mother says her full house brings joy to her life: “I love my family. They keep me going.”
West Bloomfield social worker Dana Marra says, “It creates a wholeness and unity within the family” when siblings are adopted together. Adopting siblings gives the children “a sense of belonging when they get back together.”
Sharrieff says the one most eager this year for Thanksgiving is his younger sister, Camilla. “This Thanksgiving, I’m looking forward to friends and family,” she said.
Unfortunately, too much sweetness can sometimes be detrimental. Last May, tragedy again struck Moore and his family. His adoptive mother suffered a debilitating stroke, causing partial paralysis to her right arm and leg, though she is recovering day by day. “It was a struggle,” recalls Moore. “The doctors wondered if she would survive. Eventually, I had to become the head of the household.”
In addition to that tragedy, Moore lost his father on July 9 of last year.
Sharrieff says he was severely affected by the loss of his father, but it hit his younger brother, Tyrone, even harder. “My dad’s passing made me sad,” said Tyrone. “He was the man of the family, and he made us happy. I miss him a lot.”
To cope with their losses, Sharrieff tries to teach his siblings to focus on what they have, rather than what they have lost. Sharrieff says, “I am so thankful for my mother, my brother, and my sisters. It is a blessing for all of us to be at home together, safe and sound. I am grateful for my life and health. Despite everything I’ve been through, I appreciate all that I have.”
Without a doubt, Thanksgiving will certainly be magical for the Moore family this year. Instead of worrying about his family, all he has to think about is mashed potatoes and gravy.
Amen.