And so it is, amidst the cake and presents, the party and focus on another year gone by for my child, my mind wanders. It always takes me back to that anonymous young woman who gave him life, then had to walk away. It's bittersweet because I know that another woman's pain--an unimaginable one to me--has brought me so much joy and blessing.
The reasons for her having left Lucas behind will always be unknown but I can guess at them. I know that she was young and unmarried. This could have been cause for her to feel shame, fear and even shunning from her family. Things are different in a country like Vietnam, especially if you are from a traditional family or don't have money or a man to marry you when you find you are pregnant. Maybe even if he is willing to marry you it's too late because everyone will know you conceived before you wed. And when they tried to find her, to get that required "double surrender" to place him for adoption, she could not be found. So we were told.
So as she comes to mind at the end of every January I think it only fitting to silently thank her, to pray for her and hope that she has moved on to a wonderful life over the years. And as technology continues to grow and Vietnam develops I also wonder if she will ever look up the public records that are available regarding his adoption. Should she ever want to contact her biological son, I think I could embrace that. I would love for her to know what a remarkable boy she gave birth to. I would also want my son to have the opportunity to know her, if that is something he would choose.
I, and my child are forever connected to two unknown people across the globe. That causes me to feel a deep sense of gratitude and a sadness too.
"The Adopted Son Who Almost Wasn't" Excerpt Chapter 2, "Indignity"
Christine
12/9/2024
Brave New Frozen World (Part 4 of 4)
Christine
11/18/2024
Brave New Frozen World (Part 3 of 4)
Christine
11/14/2024
Brave New Frozen World (Part 2 of 4)
Christine
11/7/2024
"Hostility at the Crisis Hotline."
Christine
11/5/2024
Brave New Frozen World (Part 1 of 4)
Christine
11/1/2024
Christian Writers Conference Next Month!
Christine
7/13/2024
How Climate Change Extremism Sells Abortion (Part 2 of 2)
Christine
7/9/2024
How Climate Change Extremism Sells Abortion (Part 1 of 2)
Christine
6/25/2024
Whatever Their World View, No, The Kids Are Not Alright, Part 4 of 4
Christine
5/21/2024
Whatever Their World View, No, The Kids Are Not Alright, Part 3 of 4
Christine
5/8/2024
Whatever Their World View, No, The Kids Are Not Alright, Part 2 of 4
Christine
4/28/2024
Whatever Their World View, No, The Kids Are Not Alright, Part 1 of 4
Christine
4/18/2024
Day of Mourning, Day of Shame
Christine
1/22/2022
God's Presence With Wings
Christine
6/18/2021
The Church Needs to Unify in the Battle For Right to Life
Christine
6/10/2021
Our Sixty-Year Decline
Christine
6/1/2021
H.R. 1 Would Be A Bigger Test For The Church Than Covid Shutdowns {Part 2 of 2}
Christine
5/20/2021
H.R. 1 Would Be A Bigger Test For The Church Than Covid Shutdowns {Part 1 of 2}
Christine
5/12/2021
Dangers of Love Growing Cold
Christine
5/3/2021
Democrats' Despicable, Advantageous Use of the Elderly
Christine
4/23/2021
America, Land of Condemnation (Part Three)
Christine
4/15/2021
America, Land of Condemnation (Part Two)
Christine
4/6/2021
America, Land of Condemnation (Part One)
Christine
3/24/2021
Government's Desperate Need for Humility
Christine
3/11/2021
Is the Church Changing?
Christine
1/19/2020
What Are Our Values Anymore?
Christine
11/22/2019
The Final Frontier (Part Two)
Christine
9/4/2019
The Final Frontier (Part One)
Christine
7/29/2019
Soulmate
Christine
4/30/2019
The Colors of a Writer
Christine
12/29/2018
What's Not to Get About the Writing Life?
Christine
4/18/2018
Learning to Sing the Song of Winter
Christine
12/10/2017
Perspectives & the Second Half of the 10 Commandments of Conflict
Christine
8/25/2017
Perspectives & 5 of the 10 Commandments of Conflict
Christine
5/2/2017
Run Writer Run! Make Music with Your Words
Christine
2/15/2017
Mom, the Fishstetrician
Christine
10/14/2016
The CONSTITUTION For President
Christine
6/5/2016
The Radicalization of Hillary and the Democrat Party (PART 2 OF 2)
Christine
4/16/2016
The Radicalization of Hillary and the Democrat Party (PART 1 OF 2)
Christine
4/15/2016
Why Ted Cruz NOW?
Christine
3/19/2016
Why is the GOP Committing Suicide?
Christine
3/14/2016
Dear Chicago
Christine
3/12/2016
Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?
Christine
2/29/2016
That Unanswered GOP Debate Question
Christine
1/9/2016
America's Lifeline
Christine
12/31/2015
Fractured Nation (2 of 2)
Christine
11/14/2015
Fractured Nation (1 of 2)
Christine
11/11/2015
What is Orphan Sunday?
Christine
11/8/2015
November's Gratitude and Longing
Christine
11/4/2015
Losing a Child is Like...
Christine
9/12/2015
Finding God in a Tenement
Christine
9/3/2015
Doing School in the 21st Century
Christine
8/22/2015
Superstition vs. Planned Parenthood
Christine
8/19/2015
Addicted to Giving Birth?
Christine
4/21/2015
Why We Should Have "The Talk" Before Marriage
Christine
3/20/2015
Adoptive Parents "Hypersensitive" & "Selfish?"
Christine
3/12/2015
What's So Wrong With Calling It "Gotcha Day!"
Christine
2/26/2015
How God Connected the Dots
Christine
2/7/2015
Exposure of Transracially Adopted Kids to Their Races a Bad Thing?
Christine
2/2/2015
Out With The Old
Christine
1/12/2015
Those Who Scoff at International Adoption
Christine
8/16/2014
Setting Aside Birth Story Facts for Truth
Christine
7/31/2014
Sneak Peak, "How much did you pay for her?"
Christine
6/11/2014
Blessing Through Adoption Pain
Christine
5/16/2014
Eight Ways Publishing Your Book is Like an Adoption Journey
Christine
2/23/2014
Neglected Ministries?
Christine
2/17/2014
It's a Boy
Christine
2/8/2014
Thoughts of Her
Christine
2/1/2014
To My Son
Christine
1/30/2014
Rational Thinking?
Christine
1/25/2014
Minority Against Minority
Christine
1/12/2014
Happy New Year!
Christine
12/30/2013
Happy Thanksgiving
Christine
11/25/2013
You ARE my mother?
Christine
11/10/2013
The Transracially Adopted Children's Bill of Rights and Some Thoughts
Christine
11/3/2013
Infertility Is...
Christine
10/19/2013
Will He Speak English?
Christine
10/11/2013
Kitty-Sam
Christine
10/5/2013
What's in a Name?
Vhristine
9/30/2013
An Adoptive Mom's Message to Those in the Healthcare and Education Professions
Christine
9/25/2013
Being Tested
Christine
9/11/2013
When We Are Weary
Christine
9/1/2013
Trailblazers
Chrisrine
8/24/2013
A Fresh Start
Christine
8/22/2013
God Works Behind the Scenes
Christine
8/13/2013
Why Adoption Requires Forgiveness
Christine
7/28/2013
Dust Bunnies and Poo
Christine
7/19/2013
Reality Check
Christine
7/13/2013
Forgiveness is Work
Christine
7/9/2013
An Answer to Prayer, Part Three
Christine
7/3/2013
An Answer to Prayer, Part Two
Christine
6/27/2013
An Answer to Prayer, Part One
Christine
6/22/2013
Are They Really Brother and Sister?
Christine
6/16/2013
Infertility's Not Fair
Christine
6/13/2013
Has He Ever Eaten a Dog?
Christine
6/11/2013
Sometimes We Fail
Christine
6/9/2013