This journey affects more people than just the two of us. I have written before about how the hope, excitement and disappointment along our path so far has been shared by our family, friends and coworkers and we are so grateful to you for your support of us and for your endurance in your own experience with this Wait. We know most of you reading this blog are just as wrapped up in the agony of The Wait as you can possibly stand. We understand that along this path optimism ebbs and flows with despair like a tiny bird riding the wake of a ship in the stormy sea. There is no way to control if you are going to float up for a while, or plummet downward to await the next rise in spirit. We are all just along for the ride.
Although we know in our hearts that you are all here with us, we try to use this blog to communicate our share of the experience with you, rather than make it the subject of every family gathering, every dinner out with friends, every work event, every walk down the street. This is our outlet. This is how you get a glimpse into how we are doing without having to ask and worry about being the one who brought it up and reminded us that we are waiting, as if we could ever forget.
Because of your sensitivities to our emotions, we do not always hear about your share of the experience. Your thoughtfulness in not focusing on the hard part of this journey can sometimes leave us wondering if anyone remembers that we are waiting at all. We do not know that it wanders into your mind as frequently as it does when every one around you seems to know someone who is waiting to adopt, or is welcoming a new grandchild, or is hosting another baby shower for a friend. The subject pops up unexpectedly and can leave you feeling powerful with hope, like if you just wish for it hard enough, it will come to be. We may not always know you are sharing in this, but we feel the power of that hope and openness too. Sometimes, it feels like we can make this dream come true with collective focus.
As I wrote earlier this week, there are periods during The Wait when signs about adoption abound. In response to that post, I received a few notes from friends who had been quiet for a while that they were still out there, praying for us and keeping all digits crossed. As the week has continued, there have been more signals that we are currently open to the universe's plan for us. That leaves me in an optimistic mood as the week winds down.
Decades ago, our Texas mom served a friend in need on the night of her son's birth. She walked the hospital halls with the woman while labor ensued and held her hand through the toughest parts. That memory has always left this friend with a hope of being able to repay our mom for her kindness on that night and through the years. This family friend now works for an organization which helps mothers in crisis who have no support for their pregnancy. Her work is to help these women decide either to parent their baby or develop an adoption plan, rather than choose abortion. She just learned about our plans to adopt through a discussion with our mom. Knowing our family, and a bit about us personally, she is ecstatic that we are hoping to adopt and is eager to get our profile in front of the women they are serving.
When I shared this story with our Colorado mom, I learned that our local parents have been busy this week as well trying to think of ways to bring their grand baby to us all. Our Colorado dad planted a red maple tree in the meadow behind their house to serve as a visual reminder that we are all waiting for this baby to find us and that someday he/she will arrive. As the tree grows, so will our love for our baby to come.
It has been eye opening for me to hear the stories of our journey staying so present, so relevant, in all of your lives. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your persistence in hope. Although you feel like there is nothing you can do to make this happen for us, all you need to do is stick around a while longer, stay open to our story's development and we will all have something to celebrate soon. It means the world to have you on our side.
http://youtu.be/uYsBDmqJfjQ?t=2m50s
