I Cried Today (well, yesterday)

It happened at the US Embassy. I cried to a total stranger. It had been a long day of walking to the Uprising Museum and back. It was hot and we battled crowed streets, skipped lunch, didn’t bring enough water for the trek, and the kiddos wouldn’t go down for naps. There was a miscommunication and I was late to pick up Adam and Aggie’s Visas and left my cab driver with instructions to “stay put” “I will be right back”….who knows how it translated in Polish, but I got out and ran as fast as I could through security, down the hallway and into the Immigration Office. No one was around, so I tapped on the window. A woman heard the commotion, looked at me and yelled out something in Polish that I didn’t understand. All I could speak was “Nie Rozumeum” (I don’t understand). All I could think was “this is the US Embassy, please speak English!” I had to ring a bell for an Immigration officer to come to my aid. Then, from around the corner, a woman with short brown hair, a beautiful face and a soft, caring voice arrived with all the paper work in her hand. She had…..……..the sealed envelopes. (As a side note, I had been told they would be white, but they were manilla……just so the other adopting couples know ☺). I think the “Sealed” envelopes subconsciously must have meant everything to me because the minute I saw them I choked. The envelopes must be delivered to Immigrations upon arriving in the US through customs. Unopened and in tack. It was the last thing I had to do before being able to pack up and come home. I couldn’t help it……. and I cried to a total stranger. The tears rolled down my face as the stress was released. She nodded as if she understood or had seen this before and began to explain everything to do. All I really heard was “don’t open the envelopes” and “have a safe trip home”. I have the two envelopes, I have my two treasures, and I am ready to come home.

This whole adoption process is not for the faint of heart, or the stubborn, or inflexible. To a large degree you have to “go with the flow”, be kind, put your faith and trust in others, pray and smile a lot. Like those before me, I have put my game face on everyday in the midst of trying to figure out how and what it means to be a mother……and after 7 weeks in a foreign world, well……I am exhausted and I think I have lost 15 lbs., but I and my loving husband are figuring it out. What an adventure, what a journey, and what a gift. Thank you to all my followers for your support and words of encouragement. When I get home, I promise to get up to speed on what is happening with everyone else and return the wonderful support your have shown us. Now, let’s just hope an erupting volcano in Iceland, doesn’t keep us here another day! If it does, I will have to make yet another trip to a Sklep for food and I am done and over it! :) Oh, and I might cry tomorrow if the Poland air space doesn't open up. It's just crazy I tell you!