This is MY America....

Thanks, Kelly, for sharing this post!

Scott Simon — the sonorous voice of NPR’s “Weekend Edition” — has written a short, tender book about the two most important people in the world. At least to him. “Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other” recounts the arrival of his two daughters, Elise and Lina, from China, while telling the stories of other families changed by adoption.
Simon describes himself skeptical of transcendence but as taking part in a miracle. “My wife and I,” he says, “knew that Elise and Lina were our babies from the moment we received their postage-stamp portraits. I would take the photo out of my wallet in the weeks before we left to get each of our girls and hold it against my lips to whisper, ‘We’re coming, baby.’ ”
It is an unexpected form of human affection — meeting a stranger and, within moments, being willing to care for them, even to die for them. The relationship results from a broken bond but creates ties as strong as genetics, stronger than race or tribe. It is a particularly generous kind of parental love that embraces a life one did not give.
International adoption has its critics, who allege a kind of imperialism that robs children of their identity. Simon responds, “We have adopted real, modern little girls, not mere vessels of a culture.” Ethnicity is an abstraction — often an admirable abstraction, but not comparable to the needs of a child living in an orphanage or begging in roving bands. Adopted Chinese girls are refugees from a terrible oppression — a one-child policy that Simon calls “one of the great crimes of history.” Every culture or race is outweighed when the life of a child is placed on the other side of the balance.
It is one of the noblest things about America that we care for children of other lands who have been cast aside. Simon recalls his encounter with an immigration officer in Chicago: “ ‘When you cross that line,’ he said, ‘your little girl is a citizen of the United States.’ Then he put one of his huge hands gently under our daughter’s chin and smiled. ‘Welcome home, sweetheart,’ he told her.” This welcome to the world is one of the great achievements of history. After millennia of racial and ethnic conflict, resulting in rivers of blood, America declared that bloodlines don’t matter, that dignity is found beneath every human disguise. There is no greater embrace of this principle than an American family that looks like the world.
Instead of undermining any culture, international adoption instructs our own. Unlike the thin, quarrelsome multiculturalism of the campus, multiethnic families demonstrate the power of affection over difference. They tend to produce people who may look different from the norm but see themselves as just human.
Every international adoption involves a strange providence, in which events and choices are random yet decisive. “Those of us who have been adopted,” says Simon, “or have adopted or want to adopt children, must believe in a world in which the tumblers of the universe can click in unfathomable ways that deliver strangers into our lives.”
When a columnist has a conflict of interest, he should disclose it. My wife, born in South Korea, was adopted by an American family at the age of 6 and welcomed into a Midwestern community. I first saw her when we were both 10, and I have never recovered. Years ago, we visited the orphanage where she lived in Inchon — orderly, cheerful, but still with dirt floors. The director said she remembered my wife. She produced the police record relating how On Soon had been found as a newborn abandoned in the market, a note with her name pinned to her blanket.
Life is a procession of miracles, but this one stands out to me. A 6-year-old girl walks off a plane in America, speaking no English, loved by a family she had never met, destined to marry, of all people, me. A series of events that began in a Korean market created my family, my sons, my life. And now my Italian, Jewish, English, Korean boys view themselves as normal, unexceptional Americans. Which they are.

Highs and Lows in the World of Kaz Adoption

Many of you know the Kaz adoption community is a small, tight knit group.  We follow each others stories, encouraging one another during the wait, collectively holding our breath as we wait for each LOI to come through, and rejoice at the first family pictures of beautiful almond-eyed children and their overjoyed, exhausted parents.  Together we  breath a sigh of relief each and every time a judge say "Da" and another little Kaz prince or princess finally finds his or her way home.
   
In our little world, this has truly been a week of highs and lows.  Yesterday, the Stone family got some WONDERFUL news.  Becki, whom I know only through Facebook, traveled with her husband to KZ in January to bond with their future son.  Over 100 days later, they went back for their court date (in some regions of KZ, you make 3 trips instead of 2 as I did).  Unfortunately, they got a negative ruling from the judge, as did 10 other families in another region (known as the Taraz 10).  Becki being Becki refused to give up the fight and appealed the court's decision.  Yesterday, after months and months of waiting they got the fantastic news that the ruling was overturned and Maverick is officially their son.  We were over the moon for them!!! What a happy day it was!!!

And then today happened.  It was announced that due to a backlog in the office that processes KZ citizenship ID cards (which also happens to be the office that processes passports), families finalizing in Kaz now are being told to "go on home" and come back in January.  In addition, My heart breaks and bleeds for these families. Being away for a little over a month was hard enough, I can't imagine having to say goodbye to the child with whom you have bonded and not come back for 4 months?!    It's bureaucracy and it's lunacy all rolled into one.  In addition, in May 2010, the Kazakhstani Embassy in Washington and Consulate General in New York stopped accepting new intercountry adoption dossiers.  The Kazakhstani government said this policy on new adoption cases will remain in effect until the Hague Adoption Convention (the Convention) enters into force for Kazakhstan. 

International Adoption is a roller coaster ride no matter how you spin it.  All we can do is hold our children tightly at night as we pray for the ones left behind.  Please lift these families up in prayer; may they find peace in knowing they have a community of supporters behind them every step of the journey.    

 We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time and miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed by God's very own hands. -Anonymous

Cincy Kaz Families Summer Get Together

We had a great time last weekend at the Cincy Kaz Families Meetup at Winton Woods Park.  There were 10 families and over 17 kids in attendance, for a fun afternoon of lunch and play at the Spray ground.  The kids were from all over Kaz, and all the Moms and Dads were able to share our Kaz stories.  I loved Kazapalooza, but this was nicer and more intimate in a way because you really got to spend time talking and getting to know the other families.  We are planning another meet-up around Naruyz, and of course all are welcome.  We were lucky enough to have the wonderful Pike family staying with us this weekend as well.  They adopted sweet beautiful Sophia from Shymkent (whoo-hoo another Shymey family!) in 08.  We spent 2 wonderful days looking at pics and talking about our experiences, which were very different.  We also have the pleasure of meeting Irina, their exchange student from Ust Kaz. She was such a sweet girl and we know she will have a blast spending a year on the Pike Farm. 

Talking with the other families this weekend really made me appreciate how smooth my adoption process was.  Some families waited as long as 3 years, some had issues in country with court, referrals, sick children, etc.  I feel so blessed to have had such an easy adoption, and I have to give a lot of credit to my agency.  Speaking of which....Hannah is now featured as the first Success Story on their website!!    Here is the link for those who want to check it out!

  http://www.littlemiracles.org/index.php?page=ourmiracles

Other random tidbits....   My dog Roxi turned 5 years old this week.  She went to rehab earlier this year and I am still not convinced she is the same dog.  I would recommend this Last Chance Ranch to anyone in Cincy who needs obedience training.  Hannah is having a great summer and is totally in love with the pool.  She is currently working on body part identification, 2 step directions, sorting colors, and animal sounds. The stranger anxiety is easing up a bit, and right after she turned a year old, she became very cuddly, constantly wanting and giving hugs and kisses.  I heard that Darius Rucker song on the Radio "It Won't Be Like This For Long" and I teared up because it hit home.   I just filled out my 6 mos post placement report this week!!  Hope you are all staying busy and having a great summer!!!  Fall, here we come!!

6 Months Ago on Monday...And the birthday party pics

6 months ago next Monday is the anniversary (or "Hannaversary") of the day I left for Kaz....I just re-read my blog posts from February... Through the exhaustion, the stress of a snowstorm, and a nervousness, I still remember each moment of what was truly the best time of my life.  My favorite entry is the one I wrote just hours after meeting her for the first time....
"Then they brought Hannah in and passed her to me, and she gave me a look like she definitely knew I was Mom, but it was a look that clearly says, WHERE have you been? WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?! I knew immediately this child was my child.  We stared at each other for a while, and then a tiny smile and what can I say, I fell for the kid. There are no accidents. I have saved a child, but I am the lucky one, not her.  She has saved me right back." 
  6 months has gone by so fast.  I just finalized her 6 month post placement visit with the social worker, and of course, we celebrated her birthday with a bash on Saturday for our family, friends, and neighbors.   She is progressing at warp speed, picking up new words each week and she is a daredevil in the pool.   She spends most of her days lounging in the water floating on her baby raft (I honestly can't believe I didn't give birth to this child!).  Her favorite toy is her kitchen set, it is so funny to watch her pretend to mix and stir and serve food.  She claps for herself every time she does something fabulous.  Firsts this month included her first trip to the fair, her first taste of cotton candy, and her first pony ride (she despised it).  I am getting together with some other moms I went to HS with on Fridays now, which is wonderful, many of my friends don't have kids yet, so its nice to get together with the ones that do.  We used to talk about what bar we were going to on Thursday nights.  Now we talk about Wiggles Concerts and potty training.  The times they are a-changin'....And I love every minute of it!!