May is a special month for me. Not only is it Mother's Day Month, but it is also "gotcha" month for us. This is our fourth year with our special daughter, Gracie Jo-Ning Bryan, whom we adopted from the Hunan Province of China. We have talked about adoption and told Gracie the story of how we got her since she was about 2 years old. Last week, I saw how much that talking has paid off.Gracie attends preschool at the local elementary school and a little girl in her class told her that I wasn't her "real mommy". Gracie very kindly replied, "Oh, yes, she is my real mommy... Another lady in China had me in her tummy and she couldn't take care of me, but loved me so much that she let my parents adopt me!" The little girl continued to argue with her, but Gracie never got upset, nor did she back down. In line for school the next day, she asked the little girl to talk to me about the previous discussion. She even tried to argue with me, but we both stayed calm, smiled and moved on.
My daughter really knows who she is...and can handle comments with grace and I am so thankful. She understands now that some people just don't "know".I think our reactions to situations will truly influence how our children react. Education is such an asset...even if you think they can't understand. My four-year-old acted very mature in this case!
Attached is a photo of us the first summer we had her, a photo with her favorite blanket that we gave her the night we got her and a photo of her simply enjoying the wind in her face!! For those of you waiting, it is so worth it!!!
--Gracie's Mama, Amy Bryan Rhett, Amy and Gracie Bryan, TN
