I didn't give you the gift of life, but life gave me the gift of you.
Being the parents of AJ is one of the greatest gifts we have ever been given. It is an honor to have him as our son. Adoption is a beautiful and wonderful gift. Countries and agencies may put a price on adoption, but a child is priceless. AJ is priceless, and he is of great value to us. He is our son.
One year ago today, we brought AJ home. Home. He now understands what a home is. Home is where your family is. Home is where you are always loved. And oh how Ryan, Brody, and I love him so very much!
I think of his birth mother often. She gave this world the gift of AJ. She chose to give him life, and then she made the best plan she could for him to have a life. I am grateful for her. On the day we left the orphanage, the director presented me with this poem.
“Once there were two women who never knew each other
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother
Two different lives shaped to make you one
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun
The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried you tears
One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.
Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?
Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.”
-Julie Anderson
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother
Two different lives shaped to make you one
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun
The first one gave you life, and the second taught you to live it
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name
One gave you a talent, the other gave you aim
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried you tears
One made an adoption plan, that was all that she could do
The other prayed for a child, and God led her straight to you.
Now, which of these two women, Are you the product of?
Both, my darling, Both, Just two different types of love.”
-Julie Anderson
I will never be able to say thank you to her for giving the world our handsome and full of life son, but not being able to tell her "thank you" does not make her gift any less special. Maybe it makes it even more special. One day when AJ is older, I will tell him of her story. I will tell him their story. I will give him a gift she left for him and only him. Maybe he'll share the story and gift with the world one day or maybe he'll keep it to himself. But it is his to tell or keep. Our darling will know he is loved, and he is a wonderful gift.
