Expanding Our Borders: Three Years

Monday, October 27, 2014

Three Years

Three years gone, in a blink of an eye!! Today is the day, three years ago, that Eden landed in America and became a part of our family forever. No way could we have known what the next years would be like but it is good to remember that time three years ago and how much has changed and what she has become today!! I am proud of her!! Such huge changes she weathered!!

I talked to Eden last week and told her this day was coming and gave her time to think and choose what SHE wanted to do to remember her "gotcha day!" She wants to have a tea party like last year and dress up in her blue dress that she remembers wearing to America!! "Well, Eden, that was three years ago and you have grown since then!" I found myself explaining. "We will pull out your ET clothes and you can dress up but I can't promise you will still fit in your blue dress!" Then, I remembered the sandals she wore with that dress. They were way too small for her. Her heels hung off the back and she couldn't even fasten the Velcro on them because they were too small and she had blisters on her feet because she wore them (and / or other shoes often that were too small) and I thought, "She has grown in many, many ways!!"

We have had so many tumultuous days with Eden but today it is with COMPLETE gratefulness that I think of her being in our home for three years. In this mother's heart is pride, too, for this girl who became ours and seeing her rise above so many obstacles in her past so she could hold on to and love the family that has become hers!! She loves us and we love her. I never knew how powerful that would be and how much that would mean now because now I know more than I ever did what it really means for her to be ABLE to love!!! It's not a small thing!! It puts a lump in my throat thinking about it. Not long ago, I met with a professional therapist and she told me about Eden, "The fact that Eden has developed a bond and love for you and your husband and family with the trauma she has faced is AMAZING!!"

It was a good thing Eden's dress was much too big for her when she wore it three years ago. She could still fit into it, although the zipper is now broke and the dress has a tear in the front of it!