Violet the Pekari Strikes Again!

Every day, our amazing eight year old shows the world that limb differences do not define her.  She can do more with fingers half the size they "should" be than I can do with all of mine.  Here's to those who let their attitude determine what they can achieve!

Finding the Pieces

One of our girls is definitely processing her adoption on a deeper level lately.  before we adopted, we read all these books...kind of like when you're pregnant....telling all about the stages kids go through as they sort it all out.  Kids tend to ask lots of fact-gathering questions around age 8.  It's not a science, obviously, because we're talking about people.  And people have real stories and real experiences and real hurt and real coping strategies and so some kids might want to talk about their adoption and others not so much.

Lately, one of the girls has been asking a lot of questions.  She's full of wonderings about where she used to live, what it was like, who her first mom was and how she got here.  She's trying to figure out who she is in this great big world and it's complicated.  Or as she would so cutely say, "compliCLated."  :-)

She's Star-Spangled Banner and crispy fried dumplings, rich apple-pie and smooth Chinese silks.  She's a Chinese adoptee being raised by a Caucasian American.  And it's, well, yeah...

Complicated.

I don't have answers.  I probably never will.  And while I wish it was different, the truth is that she has to do this part herself.  I can offer possibilities.  Suggestions.  Thoughts.  Ideas.  Persepctives. But only she can define herself.  I pray that she will find her deepest identity as a child of Christ.  That His love for her is enough no matter what.  And then that her identity in Christ is the foundation on which she builds the rest of how she views herself.  How she chooses to add her bicultural ethnicity to her foundation in Christ will be her picture to paint.  It's my job to be her cheerleader and champion as she sorts through the pieces and tries them on, deciding which seem to fit her best.

Lord, give me ears to listen.  Wisdom to speak.  Or not.  And a love that gives her wings to fly to China and beyond.