it's a small world after all

Three months ago we said goodbye to Quang, a young boy at the Quang Nam Baby Orphanage in Tam Ky, as he headed off to America with his adoptive parents. He and Stuart were pals and I've been lucky enough to be able to keep in touch with his mother.


Two weeks ago, I was contacted by another adoptive parent. She'll be coming in June to get Audrey's pal, Kieu and her brother, Chieu. To find out that both of the kids' favorite friends have families is good news, great news, even. And better news is that both families live in the same city.

I am grateful to have been the conduit to their meeting and we all hope that the kids can meet up occasionally (often?), keeping their connection to each other, their language and their culture. Kieu and Chieu's best pal is being adopted to the States, as well, and the parents have 'met' online, another connection made.

I don't know how to adequately describe my reaction to all this. In many ways, I am jealous of their financial ability to adopt. I fell madly for many of the kids, but I'm not in a position to afford the hoop-jumping required to adopt. So instead, I will provide any connection I can for these children, to their homeland, to their language, to each other.

I'm fully aware that I can only do a small amount and I feel stifled by my lack of real effect, but I'm hopeful that every little bit helps. My connection to those children and to this country runs deeper than I had realized until I started explaining it to a friend in the States and the call ended in tears at the thought of going "home" and not coming back to Viet Nam. It's a very distinct possibility that once I leave, I won't be able to afford the return trip and that frightens me more than coming here initially did.

Family wants us to return for good. I want to have them visit us. My children aren't sure what they want. They don't want to leave, yet they miss cousins and grandparents and friends. It's a quandary; what is best for my children? There is so much to factor into the decisions I am facing.

It's a small world, but it's still expensive to get around it. .