Life's A Box of Chocolates

Sigh...as Forrest Gump once said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Yesterday we were coasting through our weekend routine when something unexpected fell in our lap or to be more precise our mailbox. At first, I thought it was a letter from Yaya's birth mom. I thought it was strange because the envelope's return address used her maiden name not the married one she normally goes by. Once I opened the letter I realized I was completely wrong. It wasn't from her birth mother at all. I had just opened our first letter from Yaya's biological grandparents. My heart began racing and my mind whirled with a million questions. I'll be honest, I cried. Bawled would be a better description. Not because I felt threatened by it or was afraid for Yaya. That wasn't it at all. I was just in complete and utter shock. You should know, we've often wondered about how they felt and have discussed what we would do or say if they ever contacted us. Thinking about our own parents missing out on one of their grand children's lives was all it took to convince us we would welcome any contact from them. That said, no amount of discussing or planning could have prepared us for that unexpected letter. I immediately called my girlfriend who has also adopted 2 girls and shared the letter with her. She stopped everything, prayed for me on the phone and she helped me focus on what they were saying and asking in the letter. Their letter was short and began with them introducing themselves and requesting to be part of Yaya's life through correspondence. They requested permission to send a gift on her birthday and at Christmas as well as any necessary family or medical history. In addition, they briefly explained their part in her adoption plan and how they felt about the job we're doing as parents. It was a very kind and respectful letter. Once I was able to get passed the initial shock and organize my thoughts and feelings I came to a new realization. HOW BLESSED IS MY CHILD TO HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE HER AND WANT TO BE PART OF HER LIFE?! Suddenly, my heart wasn't racing and my mind wasn't whirling. I found peace and began writing a response to them. We thanked them for helping Yaya's mother with the difficult decision of adoption. We thanked them for their generosity in offering to send gifts and provide any family or medical history they would like to share. We shared information about Yaya and what her adoption means to us, included some recent photos and told them we look forward to hearing from them in the future. You may wonder why I'm sharing this intimate part of our life. I guess it's because I want to be completely honest about all that adopting entails. Including all the unexpected surprises that sweet baby may bring your way.