Sunday, June 22, 2008

Dear Katie:

It is 7am, Monday, June 23, 2008 in Nanning, Guangxi, China. I am sitting at a little Chinese writing desk in the corner of our hotel room at the Ming Yuan Xindu (Majestic) Hotel in downtown Nanning. My heart is full today.

You see, today is “gotcha day”, the day we finally get to meet you in person, and start our family together. It probably sounds corny, but we have waited so long for this day to come that we can’t remember a time before the waiting began. Not a single day has gone by in the last 1,000 that I didn’t think about you. Long before you were born, your mommy and I talked about you, prayed for you, and daydreamed about life with you.

You are very special. God picked you out just for us, and us for you. He has a purpose and a plan for our life together, and now we get to discover it as a family. You lived for your first year in an orphanage in Beiliu City, Guangxi, China, where nannies cared for you, fed you, played with you, and tucked you in at night. How jealous I am of them!

I have dreamed of the day when I could wake up and play dolls or have tea or put Buddy into the stroller for a walk or watch Disney movies or do anything else you have in mind to do. I have dreamed of carrying you around at the zoo to see the monkeys, of riding on Aladin’s magic carpet ride at Disneyworld (you can do the tilt control, I’ll make us go up and down, OK?), of playing in the backyard, chasing Buddy and Pippin around, feeding the goldfish, picking flowers.

I have dreamed of putting you down for naps, reading silly Boyton books at bedtime, and tucking the covers under your beautiful little chin. You have made me fall in love with Asian eyes and noses and faces. I have dreamed of corndogs and pizza and lots of mac & cheese, of pink and purple and little shoes with flowers on them and boatloads of stuffed animals covering your bed.

I have also dreamed happily of dirty diapers, spit-up, sleepless nights with fever and whimpering, because these, too, are part of the joy of life together. I have dreamed of your first steps, your first words, your first day of pre-school, of grade school, and even of high school graduation. That all seems so far away, especially based on how slowly time has passed these last 3 years. But I know time will fly, because that’s what it does when you’re having fun.

Today you will be scared, sad, homesick for your little crib and nanny at the orphanage, afraid of the blond hair and red hair and funny large noses. We know that, and we understand if you cry and pout and make a fuss. We are prepared to give you time to grow to love us, because we have all the time in the world now that the waiting is over.

Your heart and ours have been connected from the very start, and none of us can now be complete without each other. Parents for you, a daughter for us; interlocking gifts that grow and bring joy and happiness. I know that raising you will be challenging at times for us, and for your part, grappling with being adopted will bring heartache and many questions. But beyond all the doubts, the fears, the questions there will always be our love for each other.

No matter what happens in the future, your mommy and I will love you, care for you, teach you, and be there for you. We will do everything in our power to give you what you need, to recognize your gifts and talents, and to raise you to love God and do good to others.

Today I pray for God to bless our life together; to give mommy and I wisdom in raising you; to give you good health and protection and peace in your heart. I pray that you will feel loved, cared for, understood, valued, and comforted. I pray that God will answer your every prayer, comfort your every anxiety, heal your every hurt, and that He will allow us to be his hands and feet and mouths to do so.

I’m sorry to write so little, but my eyes are cloudy from tears and my fingers are shaking so it’s hard to write. Anyway, I hope to remind you daily everything I’ve written here and more. We’re starting a wonderful adventure together, and who knows where it will lead us? All I know is that your mommy and I can’t wait to see you in a few hours, and live out the dreams we’ve dreamed of you.

We love you more than we could ever say, but we’ll spend the rest of our lives trying.

Daddy

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Nephew:

Our heart goes out for you and solemate,because by this time maybe you finally have Katie in your arms. We follow your BLOG daily and are very excited for your new adventrue into a family of THREE. You finally came to the end of the earth and a new life together has emerged. We can't say it enough that we are very happy for you and will watch and listen to the BLOG for up-dates
daily.
We will continue to pray and listen
for GODS answers.

Uncle & Aunt-NE Pa

Anonymous said...

We are soo happy for you! We have been telling the boys that they have a sister now...they are adjusting well to my girls and I don't think they will have any problem with dear little Katie. Please kiss Katie from her "family"
here and tell her that we love her too! Can't wait to kiss her myself! We love you guys!!!

Jonathan said...

Our hearts are full with you and rejoice in completeness felt by all.

I would submit that the journey didn't begin three or four years ago for you as parents, rather it began the day you married. You see through the joy of marriage you began your family, through the heartaches over the years, contentment with being a family together, to seeking adoption and now the arrival of Katie you've simply grown your family.

Love from Uncle Jonathan and your cousins sweet Katie!

Jonathan said...

Here is a simple poem that I found that speaks to what I think you might feel.

~~ WELCOME HOME ~~

Tonight as you lie sleeping
For the first time in your bed,
There must be something lasting
And profound that should be said.
But as your face is gazed upon
Framed by your soft, dark hair
No words can tell or quite express
The feelings that we share.
The wait is finally over
You’re home, at last, to stay.
And there will always be the memories
Of the joy that filled this day.
With a love that’s running over
By the sight of you alone
Welcome home, dear cherished one,
At long last … welcome home!

Doc said...

All,

Thanks for your heartfelt greetings. The poem really does capture it.