We are only 10 days away from leaving for China and only 16 days away from meeting our Konnor for the first time. We have both been running around like crazy people all week trying to get all the last minute stuff done. We are excited, nervous and just in general really stressed out. I have several posts in mind that I would like to write in the next week to prepare everyone for how our lives are going to change in the coming months, but today I felt we needed to take a few minutes to turn our thoughts and prayers towards a different purpose.
The further you journey into the adoption process the more you find yourself immersed in adoption everything. Thankfully there are yahoo groups, facebook pages, blogs and agency groups that connect you with other adoptive parents for support. The people on these groups become a lifeline for you. You celebrate all the same milestones with them, because only someone who has been through the process can truly understand how important each of those baby steps are. You become attached to not only the person on the other end of the screen, but to the child that will soon join their family. You celebrate with them when they get updated pictures. You do happy dances when they finally get their travel approval and freely shed tears when you know their heart is breaking.
In the last 2 weeks our own little adoption community has had a great deal of heartbreak. While we have rejoiced that Konnor would soon have a forever family, these families have mourned because their child will never know the forever family that loved them with all their hearts. I won't go into specifics as they are not my stories to tell, however, in the last 2 weeks we have had 2 families in our adoption community suddenly lose their child just weeks before they would be traveling to bring them home. I can't even begin to understand the depth of their grief. Any of you who know Mark and I understand that Konnor has already become the center of our world and I know that these families loved their children just as much. I have no words to express how my heart breaks for these families. Hearing this news this morning has changed my whole perspective about the last week. I realize now that it does not matter if I get my meals pre-cooked before we leave, if my house is a little messy or if I forget to pack something. I need to stop and take a few moments to enjoy this time of planning for our Son to come home. My tears shed freely this morning and I just ask that you please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers as they mourn the losses of these beautiful children.
Ashley
Beautiful post about what has happened. My heart also breaks for these families and like you said they are already our children before we even get them. My husband and I have both cried for these families but our tears mean so little for the hurt they feel. Thanks for putting into words what I have felt!
ReplyDelete