About this race...
- Gail
- Back on it - see updates about our adoption progress toward bringing Elsa home!!!
Blogs I follow....
1.15.2010
3:11 PM | Posted by
Gail
Upon announcing the final decision that Jim and I would be adopting a little girl from Ethiopia to my dear friend, she hugged me warmly and exclaimed her excitement for us. I have to admit that it felt a little weird... more surreal, I suppose... because the reality of our decision hadn't quite set in yet (I suppose it still hasn't). My friend brought some beautiful perspective to me... she likened the journey we are embarking on to that of an elephant pregnancy. For those who crinkle their brows in a quizzical fashion in response to this statement, let me elaborate a smidge.
The adoption process, specifically international adoption, takes a while... like waiting for an elephant to be born: give or take 22 months from conception (can I get a "Sweet fancy Moses, God bless mama elephants!" from all the pregnant ladies out there???). Our particular journey, we hope, will take a bit less time than that of an expectant pachyderm, but it will be a lot of waiting none the less (about 12-18 months, they say).
I did not take offense to my friend comparing me to elephant - not one bit. It brought my heart to a new fullness, thinking of this journey as a different sort of pregnancy. And it prepares me in a way that I know will help me as we move along the path toward meeting our daughter and bringing her home. When we experience those times of being overwhelmed (just about every minute, these days) by all the paperwork we have to get done, I can liken it to those annoying little stretching pains I would get in my lower abdomen when Jacob or Tyler was steadily growing in my belly. I imagine as I go along, I'll be able to compare many facets of the experience to pregnancy...
I wonder if an elephant experiences these discomforts as well? They're incredibly intelligent creatures, you know... and very emotionally discerning as well. I wonder if mama pachyderm feels impatient as she waits to drop 250 pounds from her body and meet the gray lovable Dumbo who's been growing in her womb? I bet she can't wait to see what she looks like... how she laughs, what it feels like to hold her hand... how much joy she will bring her family, what her name will be. The blessing she will be to this world. I sure wonder about these things as any expectant mother would. And I know my joy when I meet her will be bigger than an elephant. =-)
The race to Ethiopia has begun and each minute is another step toward bringing her home. Thanks for cheering us on... keep coming back for further musings on our pilgrimage.
The adoption process, specifically international adoption, takes a while... like waiting for an elephant to be born: give or take 22 months from conception (can I get a "Sweet fancy Moses, God bless mama elephants!" from all the pregnant ladies out there???). Our particular journey, we hope, will take a bit less time than that of an expectant pachyderm, but it will be a lot of waiting none the less (about 12-18 months, they say).
I did not take offense to my friend comparing me to elephant - not one bit. It brought my heart to a new fullness, thinking of this journey as a different sort of pregnancy. And it prepares me in a way that I know will help me as we move along the path toward meeting our daughter and bringing her home. When we experience those times of being overwhelmed (just about every minute, these days) by all the paperwork we have to get done, I can liken it to those annoying little stretching pains I would get in my lower abdomen when Jacob or Tyler was steadily growing in my belly. I imagine as I go along, I'll be able to compare many facets of the experience to pregnancy...
I wonder if an elephant experiences these discomforts as well? They're incredibly intelligent creatures, you know... and very emotionally discerning as well. I wonder if mama pachyderm feels impatient as she waits to drop 250 pounds from her body and meet the gray lovable Dumbo who's been growing in her womb? I bet she can't wait to see what she looks like... how she laughs, what it feels like to hold her hand... how much joy she will bring her family, what her name will be. The blessing she will be to this world. I sure wonder about these things as any expectant mother would. And I know my joy when I meet her will be bigger than an elephant. =-)
The race to Ethiopia has begun and each minute is another step toward bringing her home. Thanks for cheering us on... keep coming back for further musings on our pilgrimage.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment