Tonight we took the final step in the formal transitioning process of transferring Isaac from his life here in Texas to his life with us. I won't lie, we had a bad attitude about this step. We were ready to move on with our lives, we were afraid of taking even one tiny step back today. We recognized the importance of this step for Isaac's previous family, yet to be honest, while I am sad for them in many ways, I can't put my self in their shoes. I wonder if this is what it is like when birth mothers meet the adoptive mothers. For me this is even harder because these people wanted this child enough to go through endless amounts of adoption paperwork, wait for years and travel half way around the world to bring him home. There was no accident or mistake in bringing them to their lives.
Regardless of all of this tonight I saw love in the goodbye room. I saw it in each of their eyes, there were tears with all of the adults, fortunately Isaac did not understand much. At the end we promised them that we would take good care of Isaac and his former mother and father told him the loved him and that they were sorry and passed him to us wishing us all the greatest joy in our future.
Yes it was hard on so many levels, but we never assumed things would be easy. I am happy to have witnessed this sad moment because now I can tell Isaac the truth. His Texas family loved him as much as they knew how. Yes he will have a year that will be a blur in his past. Our love with not negate that, but hopefully it will provide him with a balance of the ups and downs of life.
On a different note, I am happy to say that the folks at the UAB international adoption clinic are amazing. They have set up his team appointment for August 4th and they e-mailed me a plan to ween him off of one of the medications.
As far as the ICPC agreement between the two states, I am assuming it did not happen today so we are here through the weekend and we will hopefully find out that we can leave on Monday.
Yes, the transitions are always bittersweet. But as you said, you have witnessed the family's love for him so someday you can tell him that with integrity. I am struggling a bit with what to tell our daughter one day who would have died due to actions by her birthmother if not for a neighbor's intervention. I have no sentimentality for that woman at all (quite the opposite with Miras's birthmom). All the best as you walk together - the four of you - into your new lives as a forever family!
ReplyDeleteThis brought back for me alot of feelings, being through this process myself twice. This is very,very hard to go through but now that it is done you can look forward! I love seeing the pictures of you guys together! You ALL look so happy! The Dynamic Duo are going to have fun together from now on! Safe trip home!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you all got through this necessary step in the transition. It had to have been very difficult. It is hard for me not to be reminded of our bmom meeting and how difficult that was for everyone.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful news about the clinic being so helpful.
They did the right thing giving Isaac up; on some level that took courage and a bit of love. And thankfully you got to witness it first hand. Hard as it may have been.
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