If you have ever had the experience of meeting family you didn't know. Other than knowing you are related to them but names/faces and how they fit in the family, things can easily become a blur.
My father kept us estranged from his side of the family throughout our childhood with one or two exceptions, and even then we only saw them one or twice a year. It wasn't until after I was married that I reconnected with my father's side of the family, and there were over twenty people I was related to and didn't have a clue who they were. Some of them used to babysit me, and do my hair, none of which I remember.
If meeting this side of my family was overwhelming for me, can you image how it must be for an adopted child? My Aunt Kay put together a family ablum for me and my sisters, so we could see how we all connect. It was a lot of work on her end but I treasure it. We trade off the album at Christmas, and it has become something of a tradition now.
With this in mind I've decided to do the same sort of thing with our adopted child. I've emailed several family members to send me pictures of their family. I've asked for a group photo with all of their immediate family members in it, as well as another photo that may or may not have everyone in it.
The plan is to help the child intergrate within the family and not be overwhelmed. I do plan on doing small douses with family visits. But there is no getting around the Albers Thanksgiving which has almost 30 people crowded around an immensely long table. I've also put in pictures of our house/her bedroom/ kitchen and family room so she can get a feel as to what to expect. And labels, names, what the picture is about and so on.
Even with the busy Christmas season rounding the corner, I still find myself getting impatient and wanting things to hurry along. I'm not a scraping booking sort of person, but this is enough for the time being to make me feel closer to bringing our daughter home.
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