I gotta wear shades…

One thought I cannot get out of my mind is that just three weeks ago, Eliana was in an orphanage. You know what she had to call her own? Her name. “Cheng Hai Bo”. Yes, she came with the clothes on her back but it is likely that they were just part of the rotation. The crib that was hers for the last few months is probably occupied by another baby girl by now.

During the last couple of days in China, I kept saying to Eliana, “You don’t even know…you don’t even know whats-a-comin’.” I knew, of course. I knew about the doting brothers, the grandparents, the fan club, the clothes, the warm cozy home, the college education. But she still doesn’t know. It’s all at her disposal, just like that. All because of a one-page piece of paper that confirms the transfer of custody from the orphanage to us.

And yet all these gifts that are hers do not compare at all to the gift that she is to us. She is treasured, she is our child.