March 31st 2013, Easter Sunday, we had the chance to experience the wonderful event of the birth of another grandchild. Before I continue, please understand that we love all of our grandchildren and the arrival of each of them has always been met with joy and excitement. However, I don't think anyone will judge me if I say that this Easter baby is a little more special. A couple of days after her birth our sweet Easter gift went to live with an amazing couple who have for a long time desired to be parents. Camryn went through a very rocky road during her pregnancy. Her greatest wish has always been to be a mom and while that wish was within her grasp, due to her circumstances, it was also just beyond her reach. It has been heartbreaking/wrenching to watch her go through the process of reaching the decision to let her daughter be adopted. She had a lot of voices expressing discouragment and negative comments along the way but Heavenly Father sent so many angels as tender mercies who kept her in the circle of their love that she was able to finally hear the answer and gain the conviction of that answer that she had been seeking. While she has occasional moments of sadness she is happy that her daughter has a mother and a father who love her and want to make her a part of their eternal family. So, she has one wish, please do not greet her with sadness when you ask how she is, instead, ask about Olivia, ask to see pictures, join her in the happiness she has for the child she loves so much because she feels that she was sent to save her life. Heavenly Father loves her and all of us so much that he allows us to experience hard things so that we can become better people. And I am willing to bet that, while we don't really wish on ourselves or others whatever hard thing we had to go through to learn whatever was learned, we do wish for everyone the blessings and knowledge of Heavenly Father love that we have come away with.
My family has had the opportunity to have adoption touch our lives in multiple ways. I gained a sister through adoption, we were given the chance to add to our own family with the adoption of Camryn and now we have had the choice experience to see the miracle of adoption bless the lives of another family through the adoption of Camryn's baby. Someone asked me once how I could possibly bond with and love someone else's child. I wondered, "How could I not?". After all, "Hello... it's a baby!", how could you not love them? But most of all, when you go all the way down to the very foundation of how we are all related, anyone, baby or not, is our brother or sister and how can we deny them the love that we have been given by the Heavenly Father that we all share?
So...thank you to all of you who have been so supportive and patient and kind to all of us. To those who have openly shown your support as well as those who quietly offered prayers of love in our behalf. While we don't specifically know who each of you are, we have profoundly felt and are grateful for each and every one.
Here is to moving onward and upward. Life is wonderful and definitely never dull.
