I cried when I watched this hand-over from one family to another. This baby was in foster care from the time she was found until adoption. Luci was in the orphanage from the day she was found until her adoption.
Why the tears? Because this little girl looked so much like Luci except that she was well-nourished and was doing all the normal things 8-month-old babies do. Like sitting up. Rolling over. On her belly, pushing up, as if doing a push-up. Crawling. From lying down, putting herself into a sitting position. Picking up bits of food and putting them into her mouth. Sitting up nicely on the Red Couch at The Swan without slumping over. And looking so healthy with those chubby cheeks and legs!
Luci was so different. Such a stick-figure, and very poor muscle tone. How much brain development was missed by having such meager food and attention? And grieving for her for the lack of love lavished on her those 9-and-a-half months. Other than the physical differences, these two girls look a lot alike!
Luci, home for just one week. She pushed herself into a sitting position, for the first time ever, all by herself...at age 10 months exactly. You can see just how skinny she is. Nothing "extra" on this little girl, at all!
But heartened, as another blog friend said in one of her posts, we are "Plan B" for Luci. (Thanks, "Snapshot.") This mom tells better than I can here that God's "Plan A" for children is to be taken care of by their parents, by the families to which they are born. For some reason, Luci was not able to stay where she was. Was she a daughter when they wanted a son? Was it in-laws who pressured them into abandoning this precious little girl? Was she child number 2 after child number 1 was a daughter also? Was she half Buyi and half Miao (she looks so Miao to me but the orphanage director was adamant that Luci is Buyi), and that mixed heritage is the reason?
Whatever the reason, John and I are happy, deliriously so, to be Luci's "Plan B."
Luci two weeks ago. A lovely, healthy little girl who knows she is loved.
4 comments:
God bless you, Plan B!! And Snapshot, too.
We love you,
Mom and Dad
Wow! I am gathering that the video you spoke of is of our little Ladybug. As I read through your post I got tears in my eyes. I know how blessed we were the day she was handed to us for having been raised by a wonderful foster mother. But, I know that our situation is rare. With DD#2 in Guizhou as well, but this time in an orphanage, I feel that we will experience closer to what you did with your Luci. I will probably be calling on you for advise.
We are our daughters' "Plan B," and we will do everything in our power to make their lives as rich in love as possible. Thank you for reaching out to me. I look forward to keeping in contact in the future.
Huge tears are in my eyes! Luci (and your family) are so blessed to have each other and praise God for bringing you all together!
Your Luci is a beautiful young lady! And what a blessing you all are to each other!
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