The Difference in a Tear

I have shed many a tear in my life.  Tears of fear and sadness.  Tears of hurt and confusion.  Tears of anger and dismay.  I have cried many a tear of joy!!!  Tonight, however, my tears were different and I don't have a label for them.  I don't think I want a label.  I want it to be indescribable............

In the world of international adoption we sometimes refer to the process as stages of a pregnacy.  The first trimester is the paperwork process, which can actually take the time of a full term pregnacy ( ours took 7 months).  The second trimester is the time spent waiting after you mail your paperwork to China until you receive your final approval from China and in our case it took 5 1/2 months!  The third trimester is the time you wait from the final approval until "Gotcha Day"!  This stage can take up to 4 months.

I have never been blessed to hear the sound of my children's heartbeat in my womb or seen their beautiful faces on a 3D ultra-sound, but I think that the indiscrible feeling that a mother experiences is the equivalent to my experience tonight.  I did not get to hear a heartbeat, but I got to hear one of the most precious voices God created.  Tonight I got to talk with Lyric!!!!!  The tears that I don't have nor want a label for flowed as I listened to our big girls reunite and chat on the computer.  Phoebe taught her some English and Lyric spoke it quite well.  I told her I loved her and she said "I love you" back.  (I love you in Mandarin flows beautifully off the tongue).

Speaking of love....Love Without Boundaries is an organization that helps thousands of orphans in China.  They were the way we found both Phoebe and Lyric.  They started amazing programs in the girl's orphanage.  The link below is a short video about what children in orphanages think adoption is all about.  Lyric is in the video.  She is the third child you will see.  Keep watching and listen closely and you will hear her beautiful voice.

Love Without Boundaries' "What is Adoption?"