The Day We Met Mihret (3 Years Later)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, September 18, 2009
I had stared at her picture for countless hours during the previous months. I scoured photos from other families’ trips to Ethiopia, hoping to catch another glimpse of her. I showed what few photos I had of her to whomever I could, just like any proud papa would.
We prayed for her continually.
We had talked to several doctors about what health and developmental concerns they might have about her. I even got to see a CT scan of her brain. We knew a lot about her.
But it didn’t feel “real” until we walked into the Nursery at the Care Center in Addis Ababa and could actually hold, hug, kiss, and cuddle our Little Girl.
I can’t even begin to express all the emotions I felt that day. Just like any new parent, there’s a whole lot of joy and excitement mixed together with uncertainty, confusion, and maybe even a little bit of fear. There’s also a great deal of sadness because adoption, by definition, involves some kind of painful loss. Throw in the exhaustion brought about by a recent flight halfway around the world…well…let’s just say that I was an emotional wreck. I think it’s safe to say that all of us were.
I’ll never forget that day when I finally saw her face to face. She had no idea who I was, but I knew exactly who she was. She was my Little Girl.
And she always will be.
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There’s nothing like it in this world, that’s for sure. Can’t believe it’s been THREE YEARS!! Awesome.
So glad you’re part of her story, Cindy! Can’t wait to see Mary-Kate’s story unfold!