Orphanage Visit

Every two weeks, we return to the orphanage to spend a few hours with the staff and children there. It is a time where Solomon's birth mom can visit him, see that he is doing ok and visit with us.

She was happy to see him this week, and recognize how well he has grown since placement in our home. She was anxious to know if he was sleeping through the night, if he was a "good baby" for us, if he had any further diarrhea or health problems, and if we loved him. I had the suspicion that she was feeling out if we were happy with her son and wouldn't return him someday because we were somehow dissatisfied. We reassured her that he was a wonderful baby doing everything a baby is supposed to and that we loved him with all our hearts. This brought a wide smile to her face.

One of the orphanage children asked Solomon's mom if she was happy Solomon was with us. I felt instantly uncomfortable, but Solomon's mom seemed not to think anything of the question. "Yes, I"m very happy." The child asked if she'd be happy when we eventually take him overseas with us. "Even then because he will have everything he needs."

I had to blink back a few tears. I was grateful for the vote of confidence, for the trust she has placed in us.



The women at the orphanage who took care of Solomon for 2 months of his life enjoy seeing him, holding him and celebrating how big he is getting. "Li GWO!" He's Big! They smooch him, sing to him and rock him with smiles.


This week with my mom in town, we introduced her to the place her new grandson spent time in. She instantly drew a crowd of children anxious for the maternal love that radiates off of her. Little boys clung to her legs asking to be held, girls gathered around asking her questions about where she was from. They seemed surprised that she was my mom and questions were volleyed to her about her age, how many children she had, where she lived and if she liked Haiti. She was asked by multiple children if she would consider taking them home with her.

I was proud of mom. The orphanage can be a very intense place, can be hard to be present in sometimes with all the children clinging for affection. But as a seasoned grandmother, she took it all in with calm and love. She held hands, told stories, and fielded a blur of questions from the curious children. Once a mother, always a mother. And the children saw that in her today. Today they were loved extra.