Home At Last

Today we went to the building next door to meet Jasmine, home from the Sichuan province just one day. Madelyn's friend's family has just adopted her. She is young, just seven months. She was sleeping when we arrived, but they were all to happy to get her up for us to see. She opened her eyes and silently looked into each face gathered around her crib. Molly, her new mama, asked if I wanted to hold her and of course I did! She snuggled right into my shoulder, such a soft little bundle.

As I relished holding this sweet little girl, we sat in the living room looking at pictures from their trip to get her. It was a trip so different from our adoption trip in many ways. One of the biggest differences is that her new family has lived in China for several years already. The culture is not new to them, and they are even pretty proficient at speaking Chinese. They didn't have to worry about time differences, or major packing, or whether or not the food would agree with them. In fact, their trip was only two nights away from home. Get Jasmine, finalize adoption papers the next day, come home. All the rest they can do later because China is their home for now. They had many, many photos from Jasmine's orphanage, a bright, clean, place with far more resources than Gwen's had. They had been allowed to linger there for several hours, meeting other babies and children and looking all around the place.

But no matter how it happens, the excitement of finally meeting this person you've longed for and dreamed of for so long is the same. I could see it in their eyes, especially Jasmine's bright, silent ones when she returned her new mama's smile. Here I am, Mama. Home at last.