old letters
I was cleaning my room the other day and reorganizing some things and I came across something I wrote in one of my journals several years ago. While I sometimes do not like having all these books around, I am grateful for being able to look back and remember what happened, remember what I felt about it when it first happened, remember the perspective I was living with then and can see how it's changed or how it's the same.
In August of 2011 I wrote a letter for Rain and Ruen.
Dear Rain and Ruen (Ruen and Rain . . . )
I remember the day I met you. We went to the hospital to meet another sick little boy and there you were in the room with him. Rain you were so tiny and so precious. Ruen you were so alive and full of energy.
Over the next little while/few weeks we came to visit all of you and more in that one hospital room. And each time we saw you we fell more in love with you.
Rain, you will always be the first child that came to live with us. You were a small 7 month old baby who wouldn't gain any weight. And you were this little boy who would sit on your grandmother's lap and dance when she would sing to you.
We decided to take you home for sure when we found out someone in the room had TB. You were already catching all sorts of things from being there.
And so we had a baby at Jeevit's House all of the sudden and our lives were very, very changed. We did not know exactly what we were doing, but you were an easy baby and helped us learn. And so we were introduced to motherhood - to middle of the night feedings, early mornings and messy diapers and it was all a joy because we were watching you grow and watching you learn how to smile and laugh out loud and crawl and stand and walk and run and climb and you learn so quickly now and are so adventurous and brave. It's been over a year since you came and it's been such a privilege to be one of your moms for this time, to cherish you. I cherish the memories and I cherish you.
Ruen, you came a few months after Rain when you needed to find a new place to live and your grandmom didn't have any way to work and feed you and take care of you. Ruen, you turned our world upside down. You came with more energy than we'd seen in a child before and you approached life with a reckless abandon. And so we've been learning from you how to parent a 7 now 8 year old.
And we have made our fair share of mistakes because we don't know what we're doing, but we're trusting Jesus will help us all in this.
We've taught you both how to pray. Ruen, first we thank God for things happening in our lives or anything we're thankful for. Then we ask God to help other people. Finally we ask God for help in our own lives. Rain, you sit on my lap when we pray before going to sleep each night. You really do spend most of the time I'm praying practicing blowing kisses though. And at the end you say "Amen" in your own form of sign language.
Boys, I have so much hope for your futures because I see so many good things beginning in you now. Ruen, you are fearless and compassionate. Rain you are brave and adventuresome. I can only imagine what God will call you to in that. Two little warriors who will do great things. I believe the world will be a better place because of your lives.
Love,
Mom
More than three years in, with everything I have seen in my boys I am more convinced than ever of the men God has called them to be. It might be my biased opinion, but I say they're amazing. And in the same prayer that I ask God for help in not knowing how to raise them sometimes I thank God that he's trusting me to be their mom. It's such an honor.
So I guess I'll keep writing, because it helps me remember what Jesus has been up to and those are the best things to be remembering.
In August of 2011 I wrote a letter for Rain and Ruen.
Dear Rain and Ruen (Ruen and Rain . . . )
I remember the day I met you. We went to the hospital to meet another sick little boy and there you were in the room with him. Rain you were so tiny and so precious. Ruen you were so alive and full of energy.
Over the next little while/few weeks we came to visit all of you and more in that one hospital room. And each time we saw you we fell more in love with you.
Rain, you will always be the first child that came to live with us. You were a small 7 month old baby who wouldn't gain any weight. And you were this little boy who would sit on your grandmother's lap and dance when she would sing to you.
We decided to take you home for sure when we found out someone in the room had TB. You were already catching all sorts of things from being there.
And so we had a baby at Jeevit's House all of the sudden and our lives were very, very changed. We did not know exactly what we were doing, but you were an easy baby and helped us learn. And so we were introduced to motherhood - to middle of the night feedings, early mornings and messy diapers and it was all a joy because we were watching you grow and watching you learn how to smile and laugh out loud and crawl and stand and walk and run and climb and you learn so quickly now and are so adventurous and brave. It's been over a year since you came and it's been such a privilege to be one of your moms for this time, to cherish you. I cherish the memories and I cherish you.
Ruen, you came a few months after Rain when you needed to find a new place to live and your grandmom didn't have any way to work and feed you and take care of you. Ruen, you turned our world upside down. You came with more energy than we'd seen in a child before and you approached life with a reckless abandon. And so we've been learning from you how to parent a 7 now 8 year old.
And we have made our fair share of mistakes because we don't know what we're doing, but we're trusting Jesus will help us all in this.
We've taught you both how to pray. Ruen, first we thank God for things happening in our lives or anything we're thankful for. Then we ask God to help other people. Finally we ask God for help in our own lives. Rain, you sit on my lap when we pray before going to sleep each night. You really do spend most of the time I'm praying practicing blowing kisses though. And at the end you say "Amen" in your own form of sign language.
Boys, I have so much hope for your futures because I see so many good things beginning in you now. Ruen, you are fearless and compassionate. Rain you are brave and adventuresome. I can only imagine what God will call you to in that. Two little warriors who will do great things. I believe the world will be a better place because of your lives.
Love,
Mom
More than three years in, with everything I have seen in my boys I am more convinced than ever of the men God has called them to be. It might be my biased opinion, but I say they're amazing. And in the same prayer that I ask God for help in not knowing how to raise them sometimes I thank God that he's trusting me to be their mom. It's such an honor.
So I guess I'll keep writing, because it helps me remember what Jesus has been up to and those are the best things to be remembering.
Comments