Announcement to family

12-27-2008

I'm back from a week long trip to be with family over the Christmas holiday. It was a fun, chaotic, joyful time. There are now 5 "grandchildren" (meaning the generation after mine - we used to be "the grandchildren" but time moves on) all under the age of 10. Two of them are still infants and one a toddler. They all add so much to Christmas! It's amazing how 17 adults can stop all conversation and turn their full attention when an infant enters the room! Is it like that in all families?

I did notice the absence of my daughter. I imagined what it would be like with one more infant there... Probably even more chaotic, but I'm sure we could have handled it! But God knows best and so maybe a waiting period of (hopefully less than ) a year is prudent. Prudent but agonizing.

It was also hard not to talk about the adoption during the 5 days prior to Christmas Eve. We (my parents and I) wanted to announce it in a special way, and so waited until Christmas Eve when we were all gathered at my cousin's home for dinner. We opened a few gifts and "suprises " (Dutch tradition of poems and small gifts). The announcement came in the form of a poem my father wrote for me to read. I teared up, especially at the part about the biological mother. After the poem was read, no one was quite sure what it meant... some thought perhaps y parents were "sponsoring" a child ("for the cost of a cup of coffee per day") When they figured it out there were lots of hugs and congrats and talk of names and questions. Lots of joy! Here is the poem my dad wrote:

"Many years ago in Rio De Janeiro

A baby girl was born into the home

Of two diplomats stationed there

Ready to give her all their love and care.

Of ----'s parents everything was known

Their ancestry, their families, their genes

Yet it was impossible by any means

To predict or foresee

The beautiful person she would one day be.

Many years later, perhaps this very day

In Ethiopia far away

Another baby girl is born

And of her parents nothing much is known.

Except her mom and dad are no longer there

To give her all the love and care

She needs to grow one day for all to see

The beautiful woman she can be.

Sometimes it seems we have little say

Over how our lives progress from day to day

But this little baby needs ---- as her mother

And even more,

---- needs her to love and care for.

Sometimes it seems to me,

Some things are meant to be."

Isn't that lovely?

Mom says she has already had 3 dreams about this baby. I try to warn her (and myself) not to get too attached.... so many things can go wrong. I will pray, and hope, and do my end of the footwork, and trust that "some things are meant to be."