What a gift it was to spend some time on Sunday afternoon with our beautiful Malinda, who brought over Efrain’s youngest little brother! He’s the most adorable little chubster ever, and so good natured and sweet!
It’s been too many months between visits, so it was a special treat for Efrain to have some big brother time, and reconnect with his mom. And of course the chance for me to grandmother that squishable little guy was such a joy.
One of the beautiful things we have experienced in the process of our adoption journey has been the enlargement of our family – not just with the adoption of children, but opening our hearts to their families – parents, older and younger siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents… our understanding of family has broadened and deepened. It’s not 100% easy – in fact it can be complicated and messy. There are a lot of emotions to navigate, in every direction. It’s a sometimes uncomfortable, but necessary part of balancing our kids’ sense of identity – especially the older ones. And so worth it. So worth it. I realize that what we do is not a viable option for many situations, and I would never tell any other family how to walk this path. But I’m glad we have been able to maintain and build these connections. We’ve been greatly blessed.
