On this day we drove through the very snowy streets of Tianjin, China to meet our youngest daughter for the first time and assume custody of her.
Words can harldy express the feelings one experiences in this situation-- excited, nervous, worried. Josie was beside herself in the van-- she knew this was something big-- HUGE and she was nervous.
So many adoptive families write about this day, the happiness, the joy. I cannot really convey those feelings. I am not really sure what we felt.
Clara Rose, Rao Rao, was living with a very loving foster family. She had a Mama, a Baba, a Ge Ge (big brother), and a Jie Jie (big sister). Meeting us was not a happy day for her-- and witnessing her heartbreak was not a happy moment for us either.
A feeling of joy is not what I would use to describe this moment, this day. I am still looking for the right description. I am no poet, so I guess bitter sweet is as good as it gets for a descrtiptor from me. It still seems to fall short.
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| Our first glimpse of Clara Rose. She was inside the glass doors of the SWI. Her Foster Mama was holding her hand. I wonder what emotions she was feeling on this day-- the grief, the heartache, the worry . . . Clara Rose's family brought her to the SWI the day we assumed custody of her and they refused to leave before we arrived. It is because of their actions that we-- that Clara Rose will be able to have a relationship with them. |
Wim and I questioned adopting Clara Rose, because it was so obvious that she already had a family who clearly loved her. Meeting and talking with her family helped us to know that we were doing what was best for Clara Rose Rao Rao, as well as for our family.
We do not "celebrate" adoption day-- we acknowledge it, reflect upon in it. We give thanks that Clara Rose had and continues to have such a loving foster family in China.
We are grateful to have Clara Rose in our family-- in our life.
I will not say blessed though, to say that we are blessed implies that we are more deserving than a different family and this is not true.
4 comments:
Excellent Post Reena!
Congrats on your beautiful adoption a year ago. Our year just flew by!
What a beautiful post. We don't celebrate either - it's a special time for our family, but it's not a party.
Beautiful post Reena. I always enjoy reading your blog. It is very well done. I think it is so wonderful that you keep it going. This will be a very special keepsake for your family when the kids are older.
We don't celebrate adoption day either. We remember it as a very special time but at 12 and 13 yrs old now the kids don't want a celebration acknowledging that they are adopted. They recognize it as only 1 part of their life. They have basically told us this in many different ways and we have respected them.
God has bought you two beautiful little girls and that is a blessing. They are truly blessed with a forever loving family. He has also blessed your daughter with the foster family in China. That is very very special.
Keep up the blog Reena you do such a great job.
Wendy
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