Those Who Have Walked The Journey
Today I had the privilege of meeting a couple from my church who have adopted a child from Thailand as well as having two of their own. I was so blessed by them and their openness to walk the journey with me and share their story.
They had some great experiences to share and some important lessons learned. They gave me plenty of ideas such as buying two identical teddies, taking one on your first trip to the orphanage and leaving one on their bed for when they arrive. The first bear will probably go missing but having the second bear will give them a connection to their home country and to me. They also stressed the importance of making sure people know that it will take time for the attachment to build between me and the child and that I will need their help to make this possible. So when the child falls over or is crying tell them where Mummy is and encourage them to go to me otherwise the child is likely to attach themselves to anyone who is kind, or fun.
We discussed the interesting things that people say regarding their thoughts on your decision and what the child will possibly be like. It's important to remember that this is my journey and the decisions are mine to make. Yes, my child may have mental health problems, but no child or person on the planet is safe from that. Every year spent in institutional care puts a child behind developmentally by a year.
Today this loving couple offered their friendship, support and babysitting! It feels like such a blessing to be able to have people who have walked this journey before, especially in Christchurch. God's gifts are beautiful indeed. He knows what we need and when we need it.
They had some great experiences to share and some important lessons learned. They gave me plenty of ideas such as buying two identical teddies, taking one on your first trip to the orphanage and leaving one on their bed for when they arrive. The first bear will probably go missing but having the second bear will give them a connection to their home country and to me. They also stressed the importance of making sure people know that it will take time for the attachment to build between me and the child and that I will need their help to make this possible. So when the child falls over or is crying tell them where Mummy is and encourage them to go to me otherwise the child is likely to attach themselves to anyone who is kind, or fun.
We discussed the interesting things that people say regarding their thoughts on your decision and what the child will possibly be like. It's important to remember that this is my journey and the decisions are mine to make. Yes, my child may have mental health problems, but no child or person on the planet is safe from that. Every year spent in institutional care puts a child behind developmentally by a year.
Today this loving couple offered their friendship, support and babysitting! It feels like such a blessing to be able to have people who have walked this journey before, especially in Christchurch. God's gifts are beautiful indeed. He knows what we need and when we need it.
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