The Wright family from Conyers, Georgia, brings home a new child, another daughter, whom they adopted from Vietnam. Their joy is evident in this story.
We are on our way. On our way to the airport; we are picking up our newly adopted daughter, Korina, who is coming to us from Vietnam, the daughter we have been waiting for for the past six months.
As you can imagine, we are beside ourselves with excitement; it's akin to birthing a baby all over again excepting this baby is a toddler, and she is coming to us on an airplane from a foreign land.
I can't believe it. After all this time of waiting, little Thu Hoc (renamed Korina Grace) is soon to be ours; she will be here in less than three hours!!
To celebrate, Greg and I have the kids Kristmas, Kaylie, and Kensington with us; they are off school until Monday, and we are going to go out to eat after we pick up our new daughter at the airport. We have Mother and Dad with us (my parents); they flew in from Arizona to celebrate not only Thanksgiving with us, but to welcome their newest granddaughter.
It is a very happy day indeed for our little family.
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At the airport, we stand at the windows, our noses pressed against the glass, watching the planes land and take off. We keep hoping that each plane that lands is the one that is bringing little Korina to us, to her new family here in America; but so far that hasn't been the case. Still, we remain hopeful.
Greg has the flight information written on a piece of paper, in which he clutches tightly in his hand. He licks his lips nervously, and the kids pick up on his nervousness by clinging to me. They are as excited as we are about Korina's impending arrival; and Mother and Dad are beaming with joy.
Soon, we hear the news we had longed to hear: "Flight 340 from Chicago has arrived; please all family members or relatives go to Gate #45, so you can meet your parties." That's the plane that our Vietnamese child is on. All at once, the kids start talking excitedly, and my heart starts pounding in my chest. Little Korina has arrived safely to America; oh, God be thanked!
We rush to the gate, our faces aglow. We feel like it's Christmas, the Fourth of July, and our birthdays all rolled up into one: we can't contain our excitement too much longer. Greg has tears in his eyes, and I am trying to keep mine from spilling over; I am close to tears, myself.
Soon, the lady steps off the plane, carrying a small child with shoulder-length black hair. This is the child that we have waited for; we know it is. We recognize little Thu's heart-shaped face, the bangs falling across her forehead, and immediately I start to cry, especially when the lady says to me in a high, sing-song voice: "Missy, here you' new daughter. This Thu Hoc. She arrive safely-America".
Tentively, hesitantly, I reach out, take the frightened bundle from the lady's arms. I can't hardly see for all the tears falling from my eyes. Our daughter, the one we have waited for so long, is now here; she is in my arms, and I can't hide the emotions that are rushing through me. I start sobbing joyfully as I hold Thu close to me.
Greg is by now crying as well, and the kids are clamoring about, each wanting to have a turn looking at their new sister. Their faces are full of curiosity, wonder. Mother and Dad are crying too; this is their newest granddaughter, and the enormity of the situation has finally hit them both, hard.
The world has a reason to be thankful for people like this who reach out their arms and their hearts to children wherever they may be and give them a future of love and hope.
Karen you fill my eyes too with tears at this beauitful event, as I think back to the day our daughter was placed in my arms for the first time. Absolutely wonderful and thank you so much for sharing the greatest reason for a Thanksgiving.
