A door opens

A wonderful opportunity has just presented itself for us to enable more frequent contact with A's birth family in Ethiopia. Something I have been working/praying to happen for a LONG time. It came about, oddly enough, by Wood helping an organization with Ethiopian ties, ties to the area our daughter comes from.

Since I traveled to Ethiopia during the time of the riots in Nov 2005, there was no opportunity to travel. Heck, they didn't even let us out of the compound for any reason for security reasons. When I read about people's trips these days, it doesn't even remotely resemble my experience. Would I travel again, during those times? Heck yes. I was so fearful that due to the political unrest that the country would shut down, with my daughter left behind.

This was made crystal clear to me during the following experience. The traveling families that week had to register with the US embassy as to our identities, location, and emergency contact info. In case things really hit the fan over there, they would help us leave the country. My daughter too, right? No, they informed me, she wasn't a US citizen. My husband, at home with the kids, was immediately freaked out by this revelation. Because he know that I would never leave Ethiopia without my daughter, no matter what.

So there was no opportunity to meet A's birth family. Which some of you know, I had no idea existed at the time, as our referral information was incorrect. But I wonder if her family thinks we CHOSE not to meet them. Surely they don't know WHEN I traveled to Ethiopia. Do they think, seeing all the families travel south to meet birth families before and since that we didn't want to meet them? We have exchanged letters once, through our agencies Post Adoptive services, after I did an independent search for information, that was later corroborated by our agency. But I still wonder what they think about not meeting us.

As excited as I am to have this opportunity to have more contact with A's birthfamily, it puts my own situation into perspective. No matter how bad things get, I've never had to lose a child, live day to day without knowing how they are doing. I have many, many blessings in my life, for which I am very grateful.