October 16 is an important day in my life. It used to be that I liked this date because my friend June had this as her birthday (2 days before mine) and that was cool while growing up. However, the date took on my significance when a good friend of mine from college was killed in a car accident on this day, just months after we graduated from undergrad. Her name was Tonya and she was one of those people you can't help but like, that you wish you were more like. She and I had a lot in common and we were in the same sorority, both raised by single moms, both a bit fiesty, but she was wayyyy cooler. She was eccentric looking in a very positive and stunning way, she captivated attention from both men and women, and she was fun. You always had a good time when she was around. Her death changed me and I grew up quite a bit after it. I realized just how short life can be - I am glad she lived hers with gusto.
Now, the more recent and much happier reason that October 16th sticks out as an important day is that it was 4 years ago today than our twins arrived on my state's soil...after nearly a year of battling to bring them home. Doodle and Meesta turned our lives upside down from the minute we received their referrals and have continued to do that ever since. I have no idea how D and I survived that trip home, almost 48 hours of travel time with 18-month-old infants...no help as our help had to leave Cambodia following our own US Embassy's ineptitude at doing anything sensible...we could not leave on our originally-scheduled flight because of errors in Meesta's visa...and it was rushed and likely done wrong because the "black list" was down and they could not check to make sure they were not on the terrorist list...I kid you not.
Anyway, it has been 4 years now since we arrived home (following our final delay of the airplane re-ascending while landing at our home airport - can you imagine!!!!!, as if we had not already been through enough!). I will never forget the tons of family and friends (and even reporters) at the airport to welcome us home. It had been a journey not just for us, but for those who loved us and even for strangers who had followed our story in the press. We became a "family" in the true sense of the word that day and I am forever a better person because of it.
I thank God for the miracles that are my children and feel so incredibly blessed that I am able to parent them. They have begun to talk much more about Cambodia and are beginning to get the concept of "adopted" but still don't seem traumatized by any of it. I hope they will be able to work through any struggles this causes them while growing up enveloped in the love they know we have for them.
Mommy loves you so very much!
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