How can it be?

April 2005

How can it be??? How can it be that this tiny little babe that was placed in my arms 4 years and 4 months ago is going to Kindergarten? How can it be that this little babe that was so afraid to have me leave her sight then, will most likely trot off happily eager to make new friends tomorrow? Emily is so excited to be starting Kindergarten tomorrow. I am excited for her too...but deep down inside I am terrified. You see, up to this point I have been able to be her buffer. The fact that our family was formed through adoption is pretty evident to most who meet us. As such, most people feel like it is perfectly acceptable to ask questions about how we came to become a family. Most of the times I can be direct and share what is appropriate given the situation. If I can sense that the questions are coming from a sincere place or a place because that person is either touched by adoption or considering it, I am much more willing to share. I am also careful with what I share because this story really isn't mine to share. As the girls get older we have had many conversations about what makes a family, how families are different, how some people live with thier birth families and some do not. We have rarely had a negative experience when it came to other people asking questions about our family. BUT, I have always been there to be the buffer. I can sense when Emily is uncomfortable and hopefully I have armed her with a respectful way to decline answering questions that she would prefer not to. I am sure that most Moms have similar concerns when they send their kids off to school. How will my child articulate their fears? How will the teacher know when they are frustrated? Will they ask for help when they need it? What if they can't open the container at lunch? Who will be there to protect and love and nurture my child???? Everyone has a story......I just hope that Emily is prepared to be out in the world without me....I am not sure if I am ready to let her go!!!!

Meeting Emily on March 23, 2003

Christmas 2005

April 2007
June 2007

July 2007