Today I took the boys the to pool. It has been hot and muggy, and the free wading pool a couple blocks away is one of our favorite spots to cool down. I also love this park because more often than not, I am the only visible white person. My kids are just two in a swirling blend of beautiful brown skin splashing and kicking through the water.
But kids being curious little sponges ask questions. Questions like,' is that your mom' or 'is he your brother'. My guys take it stride with a quick 'yeah,' though the 'duh, who else would she/he be' is implied;) Most kids leave it at that and onward they swim.
It's little moments like this that make a day like yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year. I have quite a few favorite days to be sure, but this July 14th was special as it marked the Ethiopian Kids Community's summer Mehaber, an event that draws families from across not only the Twin Cities, but from across the country to the State Fair grounds to celebrate Ethiopia and the Ethiopians that we love.
What makes this event so unique and special is that all the families there are similar to ours! No one asks questions about who belongs to whom because everyone belongs in this community where love and commitment and culture matter the most. One of my favorite moments of the day was wandering past the stage where traditional Ethiopian music was playing and a sea of kids, some brothers and sisters, some friends from this continent or another, some tiny, some big, just dancing to a rhythm connecting them all.
The adoption process can be very lonely and isolating at times. Being a parent to kids who were adopted brings with it challenges that other parents don't always understand or even recognize. But adoption is also a joy that I don't know how to describe. I guess you'd just have to be there.
1 comment:
Thanks Jane. Iv'e been there.
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