Metcha Day

So, our Metcha Day was actually on the 19th.  It has been a year since I met Maria in person.  I still can remember that day....the drive that seemed to take forever...getting lost on the way to the orphanage....not realizing I was going to met her right then....and her smile when she was told that I wanted to be her mom. 

This week Maria and I have done a lot of talking about the trip week last year.  We have talked about my feelings and Maria has asked some interesting questions and made some interesting statements.

She has asked about what different family members thought when they found out about her and who found about about her first.  I can say that my parents were the first to find out and were 110% supportive.  Actually everyone was supportive with the exception of one aunt, who made some rather inappropriate comments about Maria's disability.  Let's just say that she isn't in the picture really and I made sure that family knew if they couldn't accept Maria, then they would not be in our lives.  I know that might sound harsh, but Maria had been through 11 years of rejection, I was not about to allow her to be put in a position where she would be rejected by those who are suppose to be her family.  Needless to say the naysayers snapped in line quickly.

She also asked me if I was sad that she walked with crutches and braces.  Talk about flooring me....I told her no I wasn't sad.  I was happy that she could walk and that is the way God made her.  God wanted me to be her mom and even though I was a little scared about what her spina bifida meant, I knew that we would make it work.  And I will add that having a child with a physical disability is so eye opening....there are so many things you don't think about until you have to think about them through your child's eyes.  Maria has also been the biggest blessing.  She is so very happy and cheerful, yes she has her moods, but the joy she has is so beautiful.  Joy really was the perfect middle name for her.  I had hoped that her condition would get better coming to the USA, but I know it won't and that is fine....she is who she is because of how God made her....I wouldn't want her any other way.

I think the hardest thing she told me was that on the day we met for the first time, Zack cried when he found out.  I can't imagine how hard that was for him to hear that his best friend was going to be leaving him....that once again he wasn't chosen.  Knowing this now, I'm so happy I always included something for him in Maria's packages.  I cannot wait until he finds out that he too has been chosen by a family.

So, yesterday with a storm looming in our near future we went out to eat.  Had a nice time together and then had a snow day today.  Ok, we didn't get that much snow, but the temps have been really low and we were under a blizzard warning most of the day.  We both got to sleep in and I got a nap (yeah!).  Maria also had another first....she walked on snow for the first time today!  I should have gotten a picture of it, but I was too busy worrying that she would fall and have an upset kid on my hands to do both.  I must say she did awesome and I was so proud of her.