Mother's Day

Today we celebrated "Birth-Mother's Day" ... No, I did not make this day up.  It's a REAL thing!

Apparently it was started in 1990 and celebrated on the day before Mother's Day to honor women who  have placed their children for adoption.  

I am not opposed to the day but until this year, ... well, honestly, it hadn't really crossed my mind too much.  Usually, I think of the women who gave birth to my adopted dumplings on the day we celebrate their birthdays.  That's when I think of them the most ... when I wonder if they still remember and how they feel and if they're okay.  

But recently, as Brynn has shown evidence of beginning her pre-adolescent-building up to be a momentous-turbulent ride of-girl.emotions.and.hormones ... on top of the TORNADO that she already is ... Ladies and Gentlemen, we better fasten our seat-belts ...

... in addition to that ... 

Brynn has brought up her birth-mother OR "tummy mama", as we like to call her, quite a bit lately.

She has never really done this before.  Neither has Molly.  And Jonah and Rees ... well, we're not too sure what they think yet.  But, interestingly, Molly, Jonah, and Rees KNOW where they came from.  They REMEMBER China, even though their conscious memories do not recall their birth mothers.  They understand that they lived far, far away from where they are right now and they understand that they came to live in a family of their own with a Baba and a Mama and brothers and sisters.  

Brynn knows that she has a family now.  And she "knows" that she was born in China and that we went their to adopt her.  But she doesn't remember it as she was so much younger at the time of her adoption.  She doesn't remember living in China or us going their to adopt her.  She doesn't remember her life BEFORE ... but she knows there was a BEFORE ... and she wonders about it.  

She wonders about the mother who decided not to keep her.  

So, I thought that we could give Brynn the opportunity to try to remember her "tummy mama" and honor her in a special way.  Brynn liked the idea ... and the other kids wanted to do something too ... for their "tummy mamas".  We gave them several ideas and choices and they picked what they liked best.

Molly, Jonah, and Brynn wanted to plant a flower in their honor.  

Brynn chose an arrangement of perenniel carnations.

Jonah chose a beautiful Calla Lily.

And Molly chose a Tiger Lily.

They did a very nice job of planting their selections.

We stood around their little garden and we each said a prayer for the women who gave birth to Molly, Brynn, Jonah, and Rees.  My prayer was difficult to get out ... (I broke down in tears if you can believe it ... of course you can) ... but it is sometimes difficult for me to imagine what it must be like for the birth mothers of my children.  

Dear LORD, I thank You for the precious gift You have given me in allowing me to mother Molly, Brynn, Jonah, and Rees.  They are so precious and I can't imagine them not being a part of my life.  Sometimes, I become sad ...

...when I see one of them with a huge smile or when they laugh or say something funny ... when they give me a hug or they draw me a picture or when one of them snuggles up next to me to watch a movie ... I think about all the blessings I have been given, ... which are all the ones that "SHE" is missing.  

And it makes me sad for her ... 

I pray that You have comforted her and that Your peace has come upon her ... that she may know that the one she is missing is safe and loved and thriving.  In Jesus Name, AMEN.

When it started to get a little darker, we did the next part of honoring the birth mothers.  The kids chose to send up a floating lantern (with their love and their prayers for each of their "tummy mamas").

Here's a video of the send-off ... hopefully this works and our readers are able to view this!!

Additionally, this is my first Mother's Day without my own mother.  It's been sort of tough asthis day has approached and anticipating not seeing my mom or celebrating with her in some way.  But I decided I would honor and celebrate my mom anyway and I did it by sending out a balloon to her.  I wrote a message to her on one side of the balloon and sent it up into the sky.  

Next year I will send up two balloons ... 

and the year after that three balloons ...

... and so forth ... 

Because as long as there is Mother's Day, 

I will, of course, remember and honor my mother.

Happy Mother's Day to ALL you mothers out there!!

BE BLESSED!