A Christmas Gift To Remember
WOW… the day finally arrived. All of a sudden, 20 years seemed like 20 weeks!
November 21, 1997, to December 25, 2017; that’s the span of time between their last and most recent interaction. My baby was four months old when her biological mother made the unselfish yet incredibly tough decision to let her be placed for adoption.
The ‘Merry Christmas’ phone call my daughter made to her biological mother was the first real step towards their reunion. I always knew a reunion would happen for them and, as the years passed by, I became somewhat eager for it myself.
There is a part of my daughter that is a little empty and I have long suspected it is because of her being adopted. She has never had to wonder what it is to be loved by a mother and father; she has had that her entire life. But, despite our love, there was something missing and we were completely unable to provide it. Some things simply have to come from the source itself.
With each level of life (from toddler to teen to young adult), the evidence of a missing piece became clearer to see. My heart has known for several years now that my daughter has a longing to see the faces of her biological family, to hear their voices, to know their stories, and to understand her own as a result. If there had been a healthy way to incorporate them into her life earlier, I would have done it without hesitation. She needs to know them as much as she needs to know her father and I and our families. I’ve understood that from the beginning.
When her biological mother answered the phone Christmas Day, my daughter asked to speak with her by name. Her biological mother knew immediately who was on the other end of the line. She called my daughter by her birth name and then corrected herself and called her by the name we gave her upon adoption. This took my daughter and me totally by surprise that she knew it was her! She had not said anything other than “Hello, may I speak with…”
Once they were finished talking my daughter asked me, “Mommy, how did she know it was me? Was it mother’s intuition?” All I could do was smile and say “Maybe so, baby.”
The excitement on both ends of the line was unmistakable. My daughter was on speaker phone and so was her biological mother. Since it was Christmas Day, her biological mother happened to have family with her at the time of the surprise phone call. My daughter was able to say a quick hello and Merry Christmas to a handful of other family members as well. I was grateful she wanted me present for this special occasion. Her face lit up brighter than any Christmas tree I’ve ever seen. The smile on her face spoke a thousand words. Seeing her that happy blessed my heart tremendously! Even if I had not captured the moment with a photograph, I would never forget it. It was priceless indeed. Their telephone interaction was certainly a Christmas gift to remember for all of us!