Unless you have been living under a rock, you know there was a devastating earthquake in China on Monday, May 12th (US time). The quakes epicenter was in Eastern Sichuan. Sichuan is a province in south central China. The quake was a 7.9 and following, there have been no less than 40 aftershocks registering 4.4 to 6.0.
I know the devastation has to be more than most if not all of us reading this can imagine. The last I heard the "state run" official death toll was 12,000 with an estimate of 18,000 still unaccounted for assumed to be trapped in rubble. According to some information that I have read the "non-official" death toll at this point is already closer to 20,000.
At this point, I do not believe the soldiers/rescuers have been able to even begin efforts in the hardest hit areas due the inaccessibility from damage to roads. Tragically, those areas likely have a very high death rate versus survival rate.
Of course everyone in the adoption community is following the story with a great interest. Some of you already have children from the area. There are numerous SWI's(orphanages) in the areas damaged. Some of us who are waiting families, wait, wondering, worrying...is the one who is suppose to be our daughter in this area...is she okay...is her birth family okay? The most difficult position would be for those who currently are holding referrals for a child in one of the orphanages in the areas devastated. I can't imagine the anguish, the grief, the stress those are going through. Information from China on a good day about adoption is limited. I have to imagine those families who are trying to get specific information on their children are having a even more difficult time, if not completely impossible now, due to all the communication outages.
Half the Sky and Love Without Borders have been trying their best to keep the adoption community up to date with what information that can obtain. The good news is that there are many SWI's(orphanages) in the area that are fine. Well, maybe the orphanages are not fine, but the children are well. There are 4 specific SWI's that are in very devastated areas that no one has been able to report on yet. These are: Aba, Deyang, Zitong and Mianyang. "Official reports" are that there are approximately 100 children housed in each of these locations. I am holding out hope and faith that all are well.
Ultimately, NO, this earthquake is not adoption news! It would be incredibly selfish for me or anyone else to see it that way...and I don't think they do. It is news of a tragic natural disaster. Several have occurred lately...the cyclone in Myanmar, recent tornadoes that have taken lives in the US. But this China earthquake hits our hearts deeply. It's our child's birth country, it's her people, it will be part of her history. Years from now what stories will we be telling about where Willow was when the "Great Quake" hit China?! Will we have a story to tell?
My heart goes out to any an all of you that are impacted by this tragedy. My heart breaks for the 1000's of mothers and fathers who have lost children (probably their only child, due to China's law)in the disaster. I have no words of wisdom...just know as your heart hopes, so does mine...as your heart aches...mine does as well.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Another Mother's Day
Well...another Mother's Day has come and gone. While it was a good day, it was a day with sadness around the edges. Not anger or frustration as it has been in the past years...just sadness. If anyone had ever told me, when we started the process, that I would be celebrating Mother's Day 2008 without Willow being home with us, I would have told them they were crazy!
I would like to be able to positively say that this is absolutely the last Mother's Day without Willow...but we all know by now that there is nothing positive in international adoption. I believe it will be the last one...I believe we will bring Willow home in 2008. Obviously I hope and pray that it will be sooner than later. But ultimately...we just don't know.
Willow has thrived in my heart for years. She is this person, who already has such an important place in our family, who is already taken into consideration when making decisions that will impact our lives as a family. She is already included in plans for the future...not only by Tom and I but by extended family and friends. It is all so matter of fact. I can't began to estimate the number of times the phrase "when Willow comes home" has crossed my lips.
It was a beautiful Mother's Day....just a little sad around the edges...because I missed my hug and kiss from this beautiful little girl who lives in my heart.
I would like to be able to positively say that this is absolutely the last Mother's Day without Willow...but we all know by now that there is nothing positive in international adoption. I believe it will be the last one...I believe we will bring Willow home in 2008. Obviously I hope and pray that it will be sooner than later. But ultimately...we just don't know.
Willow has thrived in my heart for years. She is this person, who already has such an important place in our family, who is already taken into consideration when making decisions that will impact our lives as a family. She is already included in plans for the future...not only by Tom and I but by extended family and friends. It is all so matter of fact. I can't began to estimate the number of times the phrase "when Willow comes home" has crossed my lips.
It was a beautiful Mother's Day....just a little sad around the edges...because I missed my hug and kiss from this beautiful little girl who lives in my heart.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
New Year.....2 Year Anniversary....New Hope??????
Well, here we are into yet another new year! The Chinese Year of the Rat.
Here is some information that I found regarding the "Rat Year":
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.
In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.
So I guess the "Year of the Rat" isn't really bad, or disgusting, as we here in the Western world would imagine. Funny how there can be such drastically different interpretations of an animal based on geography. Just one more way our way of thinking is going to continue to expand with the addition of our Chinese-American princess!
On another note, along with the New Year, comes our 2 year anniversary of our LID! Definately not an anniversary I expected to come and obviously not an anniversary to celebrate! I suppose I could look on the bright side and say that now that we are past our 2 year LID anniversary....we are closer to our referral. I do believe we will finally get to see our darling Willow in 2008. My prediction is that we will get our referral in September, but all any of you need to do is cruise back through my past posts to see how well my past predicitions have turned out!
I have surrendered to "whatever will be will be" on this matter. Que Sera, sera..............
Hang on our sweet Willow, you already live in our hearts, are part of our thoughts everyday, and when it is time will be forever in our arms!
Here is some information that I found regarding the "Rat Year":
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find.
In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.
So I guess the "Year of the Rat" isn't really bad, or disgusting, as we here in the Western world would imagine. Funny how there can be such drastically different interpretations of an animal based on geography. Just one more way our way of thinking is going to continue to expand with the addition of our Chinese-American princess!
On another note, along with the New Year, comes our 2 year anniversary of our LID! Definately not an anniversary I expected to come and obviously not an anniversary to celebrate! I suppose I could look on the bright side and say that now that we are past our 2 year LID anniversary....we are closer to our referral. I do believe we will finally get to see our darling Willow in 2008. My prediction is that we will get our referral in September, but all any of you need to do is cruise back through my past posts to see how well my past predicitions have turned out!
I have surrendered to "whatever will be will be" on this matter. Que Sera, sera..............
Hang on our sweet Willow, you already live in our hearts, are part of our thoughts everyday, and when it is time will be forever in our arms!
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