I wake up crying. I’m on the tail-end of a dream about the little girl we met yesterday. I watch as her caregivers hold her close and tell her that her mama and papa said “no”–they didn’t want her–and I’m so consumed with grief and sorrow for her sake that I cannot bear it. The […]
Recipe for a Sad Heart
Ingredients: 1 quart anticipation 1 cup excitement 1 T fear 3 t hope 1 adorable little girl 1 gloomy medical diagnosis (aniridia, explained below) Whole bowl sadness Dash guilt Instructions: Wake up after a fitful night’s sleep. Anticipation is through-the-roof. Drive through the peachy morning light on the backroads of the Ukraine for 2 hours. […]
Matryoshka Dolls
Today we wait to hear that our paperwork has gone through and that we’ve received the official referral–an invitation to visit the orphanage. We are completely lost when it comes to naming things here in Kiev (and this includes everything, right down to the street names). The letters and symbols are so foreign that we […]
Photo Introduction
We’re up early, so when the director’s call comes, saying he’ll be at our apartment in four minutes, we’re ready to go. The city is full of traffic, and the sidewalks are packed with mothers and fathers escorting their beautiful children to the first day of school. Practically all the children are carrying bouquets of […]
Day of Soul-Searching
Still, today we have no idea what awaits us on Monday. We discuss the healthy vs. unhealthy child issue, the baby boy vs. girl issue, the possibility of having to return home to begin the adoption process all over again (if there are no healthy babies available). We’re tired, confused, and feel very much like […]