Lucky Us

I can still remember my very first baby shower. My friend, Katy, threw a surprise shower for me and invited all of my speech friends from grad school. I had been to few baby showers before this as I was the first of a lot of my close friends having babies. My favorite part was how my friends painted on onesies for my new baby to wear. They got to sign them too! Every time I put W in one of those onesies I got to think about that particular friend who signed their work of art. I felt very lucky to have this opportunity- to have a child and to have good friends. Sweet memories...

Other friends threw me more showers. At those showers I brought along a scrapbook page for each guest to sign or write something to our new baby. I was so excited to see what my friends wrote on the scrapbook page. I was blown away by the kind words that my friends wrote. I remember reading things like, "Dear Baby, You are going to be such a special part of this family!!! Mommy and Daddy (plus many friends) have been praying for your safe arrival! Always know that the Lord is watching over you-and you can always talk to Him! Can't wait to see you soon!- Becky B". And, "Baby Boy- I've known about you since the day after your Mommy and Daddy found out! I can't wait to meet you! Love, Katy". And then this one, "Baby G- You are such a lucky baby! You will always be loved and supported by two very wonderful people. I can not wait to meet you! Love Trisha H". Wait! What? Our baby is lucky? The tears just fell. Someone thinks our baby is lucky to be born to us? I was so moved by that. Then the next person wrote how lucky our baby was. I just couldn't think of any nicer compliment and felt so good inside that my friends thought this way. I still get choked up thinking about it as I read these comments.

Then my family gave me a baby shower. I brought more scrapbook paper. So, I got home that night and looked at those comments, anxiously ready to see what people wrote to our almost born son. "My Dear Grandson, I'm so anxious for you to be born so I can hold and cuddle you. You are getting the best parents in the world. Please know that I love you very much".- Grandma R (aka Grandma Ginny). And,  "My precious grandchild, I'm very anxious to see you and introduce you to 7 terrific cousins. They'll have lots to show you out on Grandpa's farm. I love you Baby G- Grandma G". Then, there it was again.  "Dear Baby G, You don't know how lucky you are to have parents like yours. I hope to see you soon. Love, Kathryn". My 10 year old niece thought our baby was lucky. I am still amazed that she was mature enough at that age to write something that would be so meaningful to me. I shouldn't be too surprised because she is a wonderful girl.  There were several others who wrote it at that shower also.  I just can't explain how honored I felt after reading these comments.

To O and N- If you read this someday when you are older- I am sorry to tell you that the showers and scrapbooks significantly decreased in occurrence and production, but you are loved just as dearly! :)

Something I noticed as we began announcing our adoption was that the compliment of how lucky our next child is to be adopted into our family is still just as humbling and still just as honoring to hear. But, I felt "funny" or uncomfortable this time around hearing it. I have read and heard that adoptive parents were not big fans of hearing how lucky their adopted child was to now be a part of their new family.

 I am still running three times a week and it's a nice time to think or talk to God about things that are going on. A week or so ago on a run I just kept trying to figure out why it made me want to adjust in my seat every time someone told me how lucky our next child was to be adopted into our family. I give credit to God for any wisdom or good that comes into my life because, " Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17. So I believe God was helping me understand it.

A couple of statistics that might be good to share here:

• "81% of Ethiopia's people live on less than $2 a day, and 26% live on less than $1 a day, the marker of absolute poverty in the world."
• "Ethiopia's huge population, droughts and food crisis, nonindustrial means of production, huge debt-service obligations, massive military spending, ongoing border disputes with Eritrea, and state ownership of land all foil and baffle development experts and keep the people rural, unemployed, and destitute."
• By 2006, according to UNICEF, more than 5 million children had died in the HIV/AIDS epidemic and 2/3 million children were living with HIV/AIDS.
• "By 2010, between 25 million and 50 million African children, from newborn to age 15 would be orphans."

(All information was from the book There is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Green)

We do not know much about our next child, but likely they will have lost their mommy and daddy to some disease that is easily cured or controlled elsewhere in the world, or from their mommy and daddy unable to give them food to sustain them, or from community shame from being born without a father. We do know that everything they know will change. They will get on a plane with two people who look starkly different from the colors and shapes they are used to. They will hear voices and words that are frighteningly strange from anything they have ever known. They will be taken away from a country that had such possibility- their home country.

Our family however, will get to gaze upon the beauty of a new child. We will get to cuddle a child that before belonged to someone who loved them very much. We will get to watch our child grow and laugh and tease their brothers and fight over toys with their sister.

Todd, me, W, O, and N- we are the lucky ones.





To my friends and family,
If you are wondering if you have told me how lucky our adopted child is THANK YOU! I run on affirmation and encouragement. I consider this the highest compliment. And, it also gave me a great idea for a post on my new blog and a reason to share some information that I have been learning. You are all a blessing to me and Todd.