What a thrill to meet Cate's friends Brie and Bell today and their wonderful families. Their mothers, Maia and Stacy, have been tremendous sources of support and amazing cheerleaders since long before we travelled to China. I have a feeling they always will be. There is so much to say when you finally meet, for the first time, women you have shared a deep connection with for several months. Introductions, small talk, important questions, observations and wonderment over our beautiful daughters. It could have gone on for days, the lovely garden lunch giving way to siestas for the girls, conversations over tea and coffee and wine for the moms. So, so much to talk about! What a wonderful day!
Cate said the girls names over and over on the long ride this morning. Fang Fang and Xin Xin, as she knows them. Her voice sounded sure and confident. She knew those names and her reactions to their pictures and videos made it obvious, they had all been friends before. What did they do? Well, "talk" about shoes, as girls are inclined to do. (Incidentally, they all seem to be fairly shoe-obsessed." Blow bubbles, explore Maia's beautiful spring-flower filled yard, eat noodles.
It was a bit emotional, these three, lovely girls, together again, each so delicate and so strong, communicating with expressive eyes and words and gestures. We looked at the Half the Sky memory books they each had been given in China. Such a relief to look - just look - the obsession with scanning each and every photo for the faintest glimpse, somewhere in the backgrounds, of our daughters. That part is over now. They are here, these three. We will look for them in the photos we took today, new memories, new lives created as we piece together their pasts and build their futures.
Thank you, Maia and Ryan, and Stacy, for such a memorable day!
2 comments:
Yes! We had a great time! Thank you again for making the trip down. And I can definitely see that this is the sort of thing we'll have to stretch out in the future. I love the thought of these girls having real time together over the years. What will begin as something that means so much to us parents will eventually become something so much bigger for our children, I think.
Here's to long, fun afternoons and weekends full of wine, food, talk and beautiful kids running around!
Our travel group included six Wuxi babies and three Changzhou babies...I fell madly in love with all nine children, but - there is something about these Changzhou girls specifically! I am obviously biased...It was a pleasure and a priviledge to meet you and Cate yesterday, I so enjoyed our time together. And thank you, again, for talking me off my manic Mommy ledge regarding the attachment things.
Cate is a joy, and strong and wonderful - Until next time...Hugs and Kisses
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