You are Kind, You are Smart, You are Important.

I watched "The Help" last night...wow what a great movie! My absolute favorite parts were between one of "the help" and the little girl she essentially was left to raise, who she clearly loved as her own, and at one point the sweet little toddler said to her "you're my real mama". This little girl wasn't the *prettiest* child, she was a little bit chunky, and because she wasn't her mothers idea of perfect, her mother basically didn't want anything to do with her. Everyday, her "nanny" (the help) would hold her, look her in the eye, and say to her:

"You is kind. You is Smart. You is Important."

and she would make the little girl repeat it back to her. All that came to mind while watching these scenes was something I've read over and over again in the adoption community.

To love the unloved.

This "helper" loved the little girl, it was so clear. She didn't care what she looked like on the outside, she cared about her heart, and most importantly, she cared about the fact that this was a little girl who DESERVED to be loved. I think that's where a lot of people get tripped up when it comes to special needs adoption. They get so hung up in child's diagnosis, and what that might mean for their family, how hard it might be to "deal" with, that they lose sight of the most important underlying root of WHY these kids need to be adopted.

Every. Child. Deserves. To. Be. Loved.

Every child deserves to have a mama.
Every child deserves to have someone who while change their diaper *everytime* it needs to be changed.
Every child deserves to have someone lovingly prepare meals for them so they never know true hunger.
Every child deserves warm baths with toys and bubbles.
Every child deserves clean weather appropriate clothing.
Every child deserves to be rocked to sleep in their mama's arms.
Every child deserves medical care.
Every child deserves and education.
Every child deserves to hear "I love you" a million times a day.
Every child deserves to be smothered in hugs and kisses.

Regardless of how they look, how high functioning they are, what their diagnosis is, what they can or can't understand about what's going on around them....every single child in this world deserves everything on the list above, and a whole lot more. And they deserve to receive it from a mom and dad who give it willingly, and joyfully.

I can't wait to love on my sweet Natasha. I can't wait to look at her, everyday, and remind her that she is kind, smart...and oh so very important.

I'll do anything I can to bring her home as fast as possible. We are working so hard to get her here, and there have been many hiccups along the way. So many more than I had assumed there would be. Budgets have been blown apart by unexpected expenses, relationships tested, lots of heart ache and sleepless nights....but at the end of the day every bit of it is worth it, because every bit of it is bringing our daughter home to a warm, loving family.

We love you baby girl...we're coming as fast as we can!