I'm so very thankful.

“There is so much loss wrapped up in adoption that it is unfair to ask a child to be thankful.” – Brooke Randolph

Over the last year and a half (almost two!) Little Slick has spoken so very little about Russia and the orphanage. Tonight while tucking him into bed he asked me about the lady with the green car (our facilitator and all those babies guardian angel!) and if she took him to the hospital (yes, she took him after our first trip and he was there for about a month). 

And then he said something I didn't know, he asked if I knew the two "big old ladies" that used to take care of him and the other children. When I said that I only met them once, he said they would sometimes bring all the children candy and everyone would eat it so fast that it was gone before everyone had theirs. He then kissed me and said goodnight.

I'm so thankful those ladies gave my baby a good memory. He deserves the good since he's lost so much. 

And after that I was just a ball of mush and tears. 

I know they'll never read this and I'll never be able to properly thank them, but I hope they know what a difference their care and love made and perhaps still makes if they are still watching those sweet babies. I saw how much he loved them, how his sweet face lit up when it was time for him to go back to them. And I saw how their hard faces softened and they held their hands down to lead him back, oh so gently. 

Thank you for loving him. Thank you for giving this sweet face a smile when you could.