Louisiana emails her friend in Rhode Island after Tanya Gage has written to her.
Friday, August 12, 2005, 10:35 a.m., C.D.T., Nashville, Tennessee~
Dear Tanya in Rhode Island~
Hello! Thanks for writing back to me so soon; it was great to hear from you again! You are most welcome for the information I sent to you; I hope and pray it is very helpful to you as you embark on your adoption quest! I wish you all the best, and know that you are in my prayers!
I am doing well; but I am sorry to hear that you have asthma. Believe me, I do know asthma very well...I don't have it, but some of my children do (Loueva, LaVella, Deborah, Ronee', etc.), and sometimes their asthma gives the girls no END of trouble! I used to run one or all of them to and from the emergency room on account of their breathing, and sometimes Ronee' would actually stop breathing, and it was nothing but a nightmare! I am so glad those scary days are behind her now!! Now Ronee' hardly has anything but maybe one or two "bad" attacks a year, and she is now old enough to know to stay away from the things that bother her the most, so she won't get into any trouble! I do hope you are feeling better by the time you get this!
No, Tanya, the kids in the picture aren't mine; but I thought that the one little girl on the bottom reminded me a lot of Jodie; she seems to be like her in so many ways. Jodie is now fourteen, but she looks more like six or seven, and she seems to be always laughing or has a smile on her face; she is such a happy, loving child! I am so blessed that Jodie is a part of our family! I thought you would like the picture; I know I do! It was something I found on the Internet, and I thought it would make a perfect accompaniment to the letter! Jodie is most definitely a Miracle Child, and she has a lot going for her. She is very well loved by all who know her, and whenever she sees new people, she makes a huge impact on them!
Well, Janica IS here, and she is (slowly) adjusting to her new home here in America. She is still struggling with the language, but big sister Danita, who is originally from Bosnia-Hergozovina, is helping her, and she is her support system, her "buddy," if you will; and they get along great! She is still shy in nature, but she is still a loving child, and we are so happy that she is with us!
I also have been working with a couple in Oklahoma who is interested in adopting a child with a severe form of Treacher-Collins syndrome, a little boy, so I will be writing to them in a while. I sometimes help other families with the adoption process and help them along the way; and they are always glad to have my "expert" LOL advice. They figure that since I and my husband, Bill, have adopted so many kids, I ought to have PLENTY of experience as an adoptive mama (and I DO!!)! *giggle* I also have been helping a couple in Arizona who are friends of another woman I write to there, and I am waiting to hear from them; it's been a while; I only hope and pray that all is well with them...I should write to them, too, to see if they are okay...It feels good to know that I am helping other families with adopting kids who have special needs; there are so many of those "special needs" children out there, not just those with disabilities, per se, but those who are older than the age of two, are racially mixed, are part of a sibling group who, for one reason or another, can't be separated, or those suffering from severe medical problems that compromise their very way of life. This is our "ministry", our "Life's Calling", if you will, God has brought us some of the most beautiful kids to us after we lost our own three children, and He has blessed us tremendously! Our kids have since flourished and grown under our love and guidance, and it has now gotten to the point to where we can't imagine the family without ANY of our Miracle Children! Now we are helping others families, and God is continuing to "share His Wealth" and bless us even more!
I am glad the weather is cooling off there in Rhode Island; it is hot here, but it is expected to cool off by early next week; and believe me, we are ALL looking forward to THAT! The rains that have been plaguing us all summer long have finally moved on out, and we have finally managed to get out in our yard and get the grass mowed and the other yardwork completed; and now our yard is "lookin' good, baby"! LOL It no longer looks like a dump! LOL I am looking forward to the fall season; I have always enjoyed the fall, especially since I was a little Cajun girl living in southern Louisiana; fall, to me, meant cooler weather, and more time for playing outside in the yard with my sisters! I also love winter; and spring is nice, too! I love summer, don't get me wrong, but after a long, hot summer, the cooler weather is definitely a most welcome change!! :)
Did you see the Perseid meteor shower last night? We didn't as it was cloudy, which made me mad; maybe next time it will be better! We are waiting for the Leonids come November; we always enjoy the meteors streaking across the star-studded nighttime sky!
Well, Tanya, I will let you go, so I can write to Wilma and Frederick Gardner in Oklahoma; I will write you again soon. Again, thank you so much for writing, and I am glad that I could be of assistance! Again, I wish you all the best of luck in your Adoption Quest, and I hope that God answers your desire for a child in ways you never expected! God be with you on your Adoption Journey, and may He bless you mightily!
(((HUGS))) and much love,
In His Service,
Your friend in Tennessee, Louisiana Mayrah Sandusky. :)
Karen, this is one of the best ones I've read! Your communication skills are truly incredible You have a gift for writing about the needs of others and the part God plays in their lives. Well done !
This is our "ministry", our "Life's Calling", if you will, God has brought us some of the most beautiful kids to us after we lost our own three children, and He has blessed us tremendously! Our kids have since flourished and grown under our love and guidance, and it has now gotten to the point to where we can't imagine the family without ANY of our Miracle Children! Now we are helping others families, and God is continuing to "share His Wealth" and bless us even more!
... what could anyone possibly do in life that is any more important than this? God bless these special people who have this calling and this gifting. They truly are the unsung heroes and the folks who keep the world beautiful, sane and habitable. There is so much need... and so few who perceive and respond to it. Thank you for playing your part in this scheme of things by writing about it and sharing your/their goodness with us. It makes the heart swell! LOL Kate xx
I have written a chapter called I Am That, I Am in this inspirational compilation book by best-selling authors and wonderful people from all walks of life xox :-D (Its sister book is called Adventures In Manifesting - Success and Spirituality)
These timeless quotations culled from the celebrated corpus of writings by W.E.B. Du Bois are presented with illuminating introductory essays by Aberjhani. Narration of the Audible book performed by Catherine Byers.
Friday, August 12, 2005, 10:35 a.m., C.D.T., Nashville, Tennessee~
