Love of Mother

This is the sculpture right in front of Emily's orphange. It is titled on the other side in large Chinese characters "Love of Mother". I was a little offended at this when I saw it. How inappropriate to have this beautiful mother and her baby in a lovely moment in front of a place full of abandoned motherless children.

I have been thinking about Emily's birth mother so much, and I cannot contain my emotions at all. I love her. I feel so much empathy toward her. Emily LOVES. She loves so much. She responds hugely to love. When we were handed our daughter by her orphanage care giver, she was empty. It was sad, and scary, and very very humbling. Her eyes were vacant, she showed no emotion at all, not even fear, she was completely shut down.

We took her back to our room, and we slowly started to see her emerge. Her eyes changed, they came alive. She came alive. Within a couple of days, she was kissing us, and loving us. She wanted to be with us. She did everything in her little tiny power to invite affection, and more affection. She soothed easily, and was starting to seem happy.

Today, only two weeks later, she is pure joy! She LOVES. I was thinking about it last night. When she was found, she was estimated to be a month old. She spent one month with her birth mother. I feel with all of my heart that she was loved. She was adored by her mother. Her mother smothered that baby with kisses galore. She was so loved. For whatever reason she was eventually abandoned, we will never know. But I know that somewhere in China as Em's 2nd birthday approaches there is a woman that is mourning her baby. I pray for her every day that she will have peace in her heart and know that her baby girl with the tear shaped birthmark is well. I don't think she wanted to leave her baby at all. I don't think she had a choice as so many Chinese women simply don't. She kept her for a month though, and she showed her enough love and affection that Em remembered it!

When Emily was left, I think she shut down for two years. She didn't try to move, talk, learn, eat, nothing. She just sat there, largely neglected, and waited for her mother. As I look at the 6 pictures that we had of our girl before we got her, she looks lost, and empty. She had lost the Love of Mother, and had no will left.

She knows how to love because she was once very very loved, and she remembers it. I know she does. She mourned in China for a couple of days, and that won't be the end of it. She has blossomed so brightly before our eyes. Every single day she makes progress. She tries now, very hard. She eats, she works her muscles, and she is getting stronger all the time. Her eyes shine, her spirit is amazing. It has been my greatest privilege to be chosen as her mother. We will always keep her birth mother close. Her first mother who loved her baby girl so much.

So here she is, Miss American Pie. Her first photo as an American! This girl is going to do great things. She was meant to be here, right now. I cannot wait to see how Heavenly Father is going to use my little China girl!