We are a home a of many cultures, and Abate and Fantu are starting to reflect them all. Alan is Irish, I'm a Texan (if your born in Texas you are a Texan first) Abate and Fantu are Ethiopian. As of last Thursday Abate and Fantu are also Texans. We completed the re-adoption as required and we should be receiving Texas Birth certificates next week. Once we have those in our hand we will apply for their US Passports - Americans! They both were a bit concerned about this as they feel they are losing a bit of their Ethiopian identity. We tried to reassure them that they will always be Ethiopian first. Later that day I overheard Fantu talking to one of her friends that she was now a Texan - said quite proudly! I just quietly smiled. Texan!
During the adoption process we were able to make changes to both kids names. This is something we discussed with them last year. Abate chose to keep Alan as his middle name but to add his Ethiopian Fathers name - Abate Alan Mekonen Hennessy, Fantu took her Ethiopian mother's name as her middle name - Fantu Asnaku Hennessy. For Alan and I we felt it was a way to honor the people that brought these two beautiful kids into this world but yet never got to know them. It is a way we hope that they will still keep that connection to Ethiopia.
Abate and Fantu also now qualify for Irish citizenship.
Ethiopian, Texan, Irish, Americans.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Love
The greatest of these is love.
Saturday as I sat in the church for the baptism of Abate and Fantu I felt so much love. There in the church I sat next to Alan my husband on one side and Abate and Fantu on the other. Just past them was my friend of 45 years Cathy (Godmother),and nearby my other two daughters Andre and Carrie and my Grandson Caleb. Performing the service was our close friend and former priest (and kids godfather) Father Robert. Also gathered around were close friends that have all played a role in welcoming Abate and Fantu into our home, church and town. I think I was glowing from the feeling of joy. It also makes you think of all the different emotions that love presents in our lives.
Our earliest experience with love is that of our parents and family. I hope that for most of us it is a positive thing that stays with us all our lives. As we grow and make friends, we have the love of friendship. I am lucky to still have some of those same friends that I made in my early childhood. As we grow we fancy ourselves in love with the latest teen idol, or the cute boy (or girl) at school. We develop relationships and suffer broken hearts. If we are truly lucky we find that one really special person that we know we will love so deeply and for the remainder of our lives. The love we feel for our children is so powerful. It is a love that often effects who we are. It is a love of the child. It is a love of the moment. It is a love of the dreams we have for them.
Think of the range of love that has been a part of your life...
parental love true love brotherly love puppy love love of god love of country love of self love of mankind love to play love to eat love to sleep love to do so many things
Love, do we define it or does it define us? Think of all the things you did in life because of love. It moulds us, leads us, and enriches our lives.
Faith, Hope, Love!
Saturday as I sat in the church for the baptism of Abate and Fantu I felt so much love. There in the church I sat next to Alan my husband on one side and Abate and Fantu on the other. Just past them was my friend of 45 years Cathy (Godmother),and nearby my other two daughters Andre and Carrie and my Grandson Caleb. Performing the service was our close friend and former priest (and kids godfather) Father Robert. Also gathered around were close friends that have all played a role in welcoming Abate and Fantu into our home, church and town. I think I was glowing from the feeling of joy. It also makes you think of all the different emotions that love presents in our lives.
Our earliest experience with love is that of our parents and family. I hope that for most of us it is a positive thing that stays with us all our lives. As we grow and make friends, we have the love of friendship. I am lucky to still have some of those same friends that I made in my early childhood. As we grow we fancy ourselves in love with the latest teen idol, or the cute boy (or girl) at school. We develop relationships and suffer broken hearts. If we are truly lucky we find that one really special person that we know we will love so deeply and for the remainder of our lives. The love we feel for our children is so powerful. It is a love that often effects who we are. It is a love of the child. It is a love of the moment. It is a love of the dreams we have for them.
Think of the range of love that has been a part of your life...
parental love true love brotherly love puppy love love of god love of country love of self love of mankind love to play love to eat love to sleep love to do so many things
Love, do we define it or does it define us? Think of all the things you did in life because of love. It moulds us, leads us, and enriches our lives.
Faith, Hope, Love!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Hope
Hope...
How can one look into the eyes of a child and not see hope. To have a family is confirming that you have hope. To bring a child into this world you must have hope that the world will be a good and kind place for that child to live. You have hope that your child will be a positive impact on the world. You hope for nothing but good things for your child. Adopting a child really confirms the hope that you feel. To adopt, you make a conscience decision to grow your family. You are confirming that you have hope in the future. Grandchildren have this amazing ability to inspire hope too.
Abate and Fantu will be baptized this coming Saturday. What a wonderful time to reaffirm our hope for them and the path that they will take in life. What do we hope for them? Happiness, that no matter what path they choose that it will lead to happiness. Security, that they will feel secure not just financially but emotionally. We also hope that they find comfort in their religious faith. We hope that they will be healthy and safe. Abate's hope for the future is simple - to be a soccer star. Fantu a famous singer! They dream of big houses and nice cars. Fantu wants to have money to adopt lots of children from Ethiopia. That makes me feel good, because It makes me think that she must feel that adoption has been positive for her. How reassuring it is to have dreams and hope for the future.
Last year when picking up Abate and Fantu from the Kidane Mihret Children's home I met so many children filled with the hope that they too would soon get a family. To look into their eyes when they ask you to please help find them a family. The hope that maybe they would be next. I also saw the tears of those that would not get a family. Some were getting to old to be adopted, some had other issues. It was so difficult to see these children that had lost hope. The sadness in their eyes, the uncertainty of the years ahead. What does the future hold for them and so many more children like them?
Sometimes our hopes are simple. I may hope that the family will enjoy a new recipe I'm trying. Hoping that the kids will go to bed easily tonight. Hoping that Abate does well at his track meet. Hoping that Alan makes it safely home. Sometimes our hopes and dreams are one and the same. I think that is often true for children. It is such a joy when your children can dream big and to know that they can achieve those dreams. To take that step from hope to faith that it is possible.
Faith, hope...
Love
How can one look into the eyes of a child and not see hope. To have a family is confirming that you have hope. To bring a child into this world you must have hope that the world will be a good and kind place for that child to live. You have hope that your child will be a positive impact on the world. You hope for nothing but good things for your child. Adopting a child really confirms the hope that you feel. To adopt, you make a conscience decision to grow your family. You are confirming that you have hope in the future. Grandchildren have this amazing ability to inspire hope too.
Abate and Fantu will be baptized this coming Saturday. What a wonderful time to reaffirm our hope for them and the path that they will take in life. What do we hope for them? Happiness, that no matter what path they choose that it will lead to happiness. Security, that they will feel secure not just financially but emotionally. We also hope that they find comfort in their religious faith. We hope that they will be healthy and safe. Abate's hope for the future is simple - to be a soccer star. Fantu a famous singer! They dream of big houses and nice cars. Fantu wants to have money to adopt lots of children from Ethiopia. That makes me feel good, because It makes me think that she must feel that adoption has been positive for her. How reassuring it is to have dreams and hope for the future.
Last year when picking up Abate and Fantu from the Kidane Mihret Children's home I met so many children filled with the hope that they too would soon get a family. To look into their eyes when they ask you to please help find them a family. The hope that maybe they would be next. I also saw the tears of those that would not get a family. Some were getting to old to be adopted, some had other issues. It was so difficult to see these children that had lost hope. The sadness in their eyes, the uncertainty of the years ahead. What does the future hold for them and so many more children like them?
Sometimes our hopes are simple. I may hope that the family will enjoy a new recipe I'm trying. Hoping that the kids will go to bed easily tonight. Hoping that Abate does well at his track meet. Hoping that Alan makes it safely home. Sometimes our hopes and dreams are one and the same. I think that is often true for children. It is such a joy when your children can dream big and to know that they can achieve those dreams. To take that step from hope to faith that it is possible.
Faith, hope...
Love
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