Thank You......

As Carleigh gets older, she is starting to question her adoption. She has always know that she was adopted, but as she nears her fifth birthday this month, it seems it is weighing on her mind.

In the last several weeks she has asked both Bill and I why we adopted her. That question is easy to answer at this early age; because we love her. Occasionally it is followed by questions about why we love her, but she is always easily satisfied.

She knows that she lived with a foster family in China, and will occasionally say she misses them. She doesn't remember them, but feels that she must "miss them"  since she knew them at one time. She does not yet ask about her birth parents.

The other day, she floored me with a statement. It was the first time she has left me speechless......well, the first time my speechlessness was not a result of one of her momentary acts of insanity, anyway (cutting her hair nine times, peeing in a bin full of Leap Frog letters, peeling sheets of paint off of her bedroom walls, you know, Carleigh things.)

She said......"Thank you for adopting me."

I was completely overcome with love, pride, joy, and sadness, all at once. I will start with the later. This sentence is one that I never would have expected to hear out of a child's mouth. It is heartbreaking to me because I think of what happens to the children who are not adopted, especially the children that are actually living in the orphanages. Growing up without parents. My heart sinks for all of these children, and imagining Carleigh in that situation instead of with us.

My heart is filled with pride, because my daughter thought this was a polite thing to say. She has no idea of how her life could have been, or the blessings that she has because she is with us. She is still too young to understand concepts like this. I am proud because she is a smart, funny, happy, loving child, and she is mine.

I am filled with joy because she brings so much to my life, especially in times when she is not prone to those momentary acts of insanity. But those acts also bring joy to my life, in the re-telling of the story. She is all girl, and brings back so many memories from my childhood. It is nice to balance out the girl/boy ratio in the house a little more. Or at least get a little closer. She loves to sing, color, and look at books. She give each and every stuffed animal an equal amount of attention. She loves.

I decided the best way to answer this question was with love. Hugs, kisses, and snuggles. What can I say. I have so much to thank HER for.