I'm drawn back to what we were doing two years ago on December 3, when Ren was born.
Paul and I had just spent an amazing weekend in Jasper. We went there to celebrate Paul's birthday but it turned into a different sort of celebration when, on the drive there, we received the call we'd been waiting nearly two years for: we had been matched with a baby girl in China! Claire Caiwen entered our reality that day - December 1, 2006 - and life has never been the same.
What we didn't know at the time is that we actually became parents twice over that weekend. As we revelled in the joy of seeing Claire's face for the first time, the boy who would become our second child was born into the world. In hindsight, it's no wonder our joy was so great and the weekend so magical to us.
And yet I can't help but consider that at the same time we were preparing to accept our beautiful little Claire into our lives, Ren's birth family was faced with the opposite situation. How strange that our two children's lives were changing enormously at the same time in nearly opposite ways, unbeknownst to them.
Ever since we received Claire's proposal on December 1, I've thought of early December as a magical time where our family became a reality. That still holds true, especially now that we know our son was born that same weekend. But now I also think of another family - Ren's birth family - who experienced a great loss at the same that our family was forming. They will always be in our thoughts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
You know this was meant to be..
How amazing..
Can't wait to see all 4 of you together..
Hugs..
Have a Great Thanksgiving..
What a wonderful way to acknowledge Ren's birth family and remember them. It shows how considerate you are to think of them and what they've gone through. Ren is very lucky to have you as such kind, compassionate and caring people in his life. He is a very lucky boy indeed. I hope your wait is not much longer.
Such beautiful and true sentiments.
Dawn
Monica,
What a beautiful post. What a treasure to know that as you celebrated the joyous weekend when Claire became a reality, your little Ren was entering the world. . . chosen to be your son.
I cannot imagine the ache of the birth family. It is something that I will always think of as part of Teddi's story. The ache of "waiting" goes away when we finally hold our children for the first time. But, for a birth mom (family), the ache of loss remains, forever. It's tough to think about, but oh how grateful I am that Teddi's, and Claire's, and Ren's birth mamas, choose life for them. We are truly blessed.
Thank you for sharing your heart.
Blessings~
Tina
Wow, what an amazing red thread. I was going to say coincidence, but then I thought about the saying that there are no coincidences in life.
I completely understand your joy, but also sadness for Ren's birth family. Early December will always be an important time in your household.
Perhaps early December will once again be significant as we wait for our LSCs.
It's amazing that just when you were seeing Claire for the first time, little Ren was being born. I can understand how that must bring about many emotions.
We can't wait to see you ALL together as one happy forever family!
Post a Comment