Love & Joy, Defined

I'm nearing the end of my trip to China to bring my babies home. It's been a crazy whirlwind of emotional extremes, sensory overload, physical and mental exhaustion, and that bone-deep, feel-it-all-the-way-in-your-soul kind of love that connects this tired, happy momma with her babies.

There are so many moments to share from this trip, and hopefully I'll be able to squeeze some of them into this blog, between the chaos of settling Jack & Annie into our family over the next few weeks.

But right now, before we head home, before all the really important memories involving each of these oh-so-very important people take precedence so I can bear the record for them later, I want to take one tiny minute to share one of my favorite things.

Adoptive mommies and daddies are some of my favorite people in the whole entire world. I have cried sappy tears A LOT over the last three weeks. About half of them have involved my own new kiddos. The other half have involved other newly formed adoptive families. At every hotel we've visited, in the civil affairs offices, at the notaries, at the US embassy, and sometimes just walking the streets, we see other adoptive parents. And it turns me into a sniffly, sobby mess. These moms and dads just love these sweet babies SO MUCH! They are sweaty and frazzled and look as exhausted and overwhelmed as I feel, but the massive, huge thing you feel radiating from them is this big, ol' ginormous love for the wee ones who were strangers until just a few days earlier. And joy--folks, these people radiate joy. Even as they wrangle screaming, red-faced toddlers or cajole overloaded preschoolers to eat. I've seen love and joy in my life, but adoptive moms and dads win.

This morning in the US consulate every single adoptive family was completing a special needs adoption. These sweet kiddos were missing limbs, had unrepaired cleft palates, cerebral palsy, deafness, heart problems, and a host of undiagnosed issues. And every single parent looked like he/she had hit the child jackpot, like his/her child was the shining center of the universe. We proudly showed off our kiddos to each other & compared notes on forthcoming medical treatment once we arrived in the States, and I had to agree that each and every parent had indeed hit the child jackpot and was bringing home the most precious baby.

Compassion, kindness, gentleness, unselfish love are all things that I struggle constantly to learn and practice. At this point in my life I've accepted that it will take a lifetime and beyond to shape my self-centered heart into something more befitting a disciple of Christ.

Being surrounded by compassionate, kind, gentle, and unselfish people is my secret weapon and one of my best hopes for someday becoming like them.

There are so very many things that I love about adoption, and one of the top things is that it allows me to walk among some of the greatest hearts this world knows. It's a tough path, but oh my gosh, the company we keep along the way!