Fortunate

I forget sometimes just how fortunate we, and by extension Mystery Baby Girl, are. But it’s days like today that remind me.

I was visiting with my dear friend Heather, the most excellent Miss Isabella, and the Little Man today (the Big Man was at work). Now, Heather has been a good friend to me for these past 7 years at least, helping me through some of the worst days of my life, and sharing in some of my best. She’s been a level head when things have gone rough, and added some hilarity when I have needed a good laugh. We had our own secret lunch club, even. But most of all, she’s always there to share whatever’s going on with me.

So today, I went to visit, and this is always a good time for me. Of course, I get to spend time with two of my favourite kids in all the world (even though sometimes I am not as sharp with the guessing things and the getting things and the playing things as perhaps Miss Isabella expects. But she IS tolerant of lower beings such as myself, and even gives me hugs when I have to leave. She’s giving that way.)

But today, I was in for a treat.

Assembled in Heather’s house were 7 diaper boxes stuffed full of baby clothes, and another 6 or 7 garbage bags full as well. Heather and her wonderful sister have been waiting through all the struggles we have had to have a family, and when the day finally came that I could call and tell her “It’s a Girl”, they swung into action. They gathered up all their baby clothes and toys and other essentials, got them all together, and have been waiting to give me all these fantastic hand-me-downs.

I had been forewarned. She said they had a lot. But I really didn’t grasp HOW MUCH until today.

Today I just brought home all the clothes. And my car, a small Toyota family car, was stuffed FULL of boxes and bags.

And when I brought them in, and started to comprehend just how generous they were in giving me these things, how kind and thoughtful… I just started to cry. I was just overwhelmed at their generosity and kindness.

It’s easy to feel isolated when you are adopting. You spend a lot of time poring over paperwork or thinking about timelines, and since most people have only a passing knowledge of adoption, there are not a lot of people you can share it with. So sometimes I am surprised just how lucky I am to have people like Heather and her family around at times like this. They have been supportive of our decisions and eager for news and promising me hand-me-downs and gifts right from the beginning. They have been with us on this journey from the start. And I am so grateful and fortunate, not just for my sake, but because Mystery Baby Girl will also have her Auntie Heather and her family to welcome her and love her.

She’s off to a great start in that respect. And with all these clothes, she will look FAB, too.

So it’s like Christmas here tonight. I am going through things and ooh-ing and aah-ing. And periodically I have to stop and catch my breath and realize how lucky I am to have such good friends.

Thank you Heather. (And Sue too!)