Old Same

Mary Clare and Emma in China


Last week my friend Bev came over with her girls to hang out and have dinner. Bev and I met almost one year ago when we travelled to China to meet our new daughters. She lives about 40 minutes away and we don't get together that often, but when we do it is like no time has passed at all. She is just one of those people you can do that with. I am happy to know several of those people because I am not the best at keeping up. I am constantly amazed at how several sweet women still count me as a friend, even if we haven't talked in months!

Mary Clare and Emma May 06


Her older daughter (bio) is in 6 and gets along great with the older kids and Emma is only a couple of days older than MC. They are from the same orphanage in China. Interestingly, we know of several families in Atlanta with girls from this orphanage, thousands of miles away. One family even lives in Bev and Shanes's small neighborhood.

Anyway, I took this book to read on the plane. In an nutshell, two girls have an arranged friendship and form a close bond as they grow up. The name for this type of relationship is 'old same'. I gave the book to Beverly to read while we were there and we both decided Emma and MC are to be 'old sames'. Without the added bonding during their footbonding rituals, of course.
Emma and Mary Clare August 06


I snapped some more pics last week but the were bathtub pictures and a little too risque for the internet, hee hee.

Now the girls are nearing two. We see evidence of two-ness in both cuties. They are both very independant and strong willed personalities. There is something about what they have been through that must lend to this inner toughness. These girls will take on anything. When I think about all of the Chinese girls who have been adopted in the United States, I can't help but consider their generation 20 years from now.

The adoption process from China is not an easy one for the waiting familes right now. Families who thought they would be waiting a year or so to meet their new daughters are waiting two years or more. It is so frustrating to see this slowdown and the reasons why are many and varied. My hope is that someday soon perhaps there will be less of a need, fewer children being abandoned and needing families. While that may be the case (and officials are describing slight drops in numbers) right now there are still thousands of children, mostly girls, living in orphanages and hundreds entering the institutions daily.

Our adoption agency, CCAI, sponsors children and many adoptive parents find ways to support the orphanages in China and provide things like water heaters, air conditioners, medicines and surgery. Check out these groups too.

Half the Sky Foundation
Alliance for Children