Fifteen years ago today, I had just arrived at work when my boss had told me that I had just missed a telephone call from "some guy," who said he would call back. I had this rather bizarre feeling that the call was from Paul Garrett, our social worker whom we had been talking to about hoping to adopt a baby. Moments later, the telephone rang and I answered. On the other line, it was Paul. I knew it! He then uttered one of the most memorable, vivid sentences I've ever heard my entire life, these words, "This is the call you've been waiting for!"Speechless.
All I could do was cry. My boss was staring at me like something horrible had just happened and I couldn't say a word because I was sobbing. Another girl from a nearby office gazed at me while holding the telephone in my hand, trying to determine whether it was good news or bad. I somehow managed to get the point across when I gained a bit of composure.
Then the question came to me, which I asked Paul, "What is it?" I had not specified on our application what my preference was, but had desperately longed to have an adorable baby daughter.
Paul then said to me, "We have a little girl for you!" Then the floods came again and sobbing resumed. I was elated, as anyone could imagine.
The next coherent thought that came to me was when and how was I going to get my newborn child. He said that we could either get her that day or the following.
He--llooooo!!! What do you think? After I got the call, I phoned Kelly at work and he recalls this conversation with me. "(Sob, sob, sob, incoherent words)...blah, blah, bhah...."BABY!"....blah, blah, blah, (sob, sob)." 'BABY' was about the only word he could understand from my communication, but he got the point.
It was like finding out I was pregnant and delivering a baby all on the same day. It was incredible. It was the longest day EVER, as we had to wait for her foster parents' schedule to accommodate ours, which was later that afternoon. She was about a month old and I could NOT wait to meet my daughter.
We arrived at the office on that warm, rainy, summer day and they walked us into a room with two rocking chairs and said, "Wait here, please." Then one of the staff walked into the room and put our little baby into my arms. She had blonde hair, which tickled me pink, even though there was not much of it, and was rather alert and attentive, focusing toward me while going to town, sucking intently on her little pacifier. I took one look at this little cherub and fell in love. They left the baby alone with us in the room for a moment to have some time with her to make sure we wanted her. Are you kidding me? Of course we wanted her!
We were on Cloud Nine, and such a place does exist. It was incredible. As we loaded her into the carseat (one of the two requirements we needed to bring along to be able to take her home--the other was a change of clothing) and I looked into her eyes and for the first time ever, told her I love her.
So, now...fifteen years later, we celebrate Lindsey Appreciation Day every year on this day. Today she took a plate of homemade cookies in to seminary to share with her classmates, but most of them didn't know why. I whipped up a four-course special dinner for her tonight with some of her favorites, shrimp cocktail, green salad with avocado, stuffed green peppers, and New York cheesecake drizzled with chocolate and strawberries. We had a special personalized giant Hershey's Kiss made for her at the Times Square Hershey's store last week, and I gave her a dozen pink roses. Tonight's dinner table was set up in pink, honoring my little girl, complete with sparking cider to celebrate.
Now on to the days' not-so-good news, from my perspective, at least.
Against my personal house rule of no pets, her dad decided to bring home two parakeets for his little girl tonight. He does this. But it's been a long time. Five years. The last pet she had was a sweet little guinea pig that lived for a couple of years that I actually ended up really enjoying. Believe it or not, I was bawling when the guinea pig died. At the time, as I am tonight, I was pretty upset with the idea. Anyway, Lindsey's happy. And that's the most important thing I need to keep in mind. I just know I'll be the one to end up caring for Kiwi and Wiggles, the names she's chosen for her new birdies.
Happy Lindsey Appreciation Day! My heart is full of gratitude for her birth mother for choosing to place her for adoption so that our lives could be blessed. Who knows who or where she is, but some day I hope to thank her.
Comments