It’s one of those moments. A moment you get that butterfly feeling in your stomach and you can’t decide if you feel sick or nervous or happy. It’s a moment that is pivotal. A moment that will change everything, and you aren’t sure if it will change everything for good or for not so good! That’s the way I feel tonight as Stephen is on his way to pick Zeyuan (or Sam, as we have been calling the student who will be living with us for the school year). Inviting a perfect stranger into your home and family is no small matter and everything will change.
And then I think about Zeyuan. Coming to live with perfect strangers who don’t share culture or language…….coming to a strange land, with strange people and strange food and strange customs! Talk about change! Zeyuan was supposed to have arrived last night, but his Chicago to Roanoke connection was cancelled due to the weather. He has been traveling for literally days.
And then he walks into the living room……not a picture on a passport, but a real boy who’s exhausted from travel, and full of nervous anticipation. He reaches out to shake my hand, but I reach out and give him a hug and with a huge smile he reciprocates. On the ride home, he tells Stephen that he would like to call us mom and dad and that he hopes we will think of him as our Chinese son. There is really no greater honor than to have a young man ask to be your child and want to be called your son!
We showed Zeyuan his room and bathroom and I thought he would want to settle in, take a shower and get to bed, since it was midnight, but he was too excited about the gifts he brought for us! He gave Stephen a book with Chinese money, he gave Carlos a book with Chinese stamps and he gave me a set of beautifully painted chopsticks and jade chopstick holders. He had gifts of the other four kids too, but they were sleeping.
Zeyuan also gave us a letter written by his father (which he translated for us). The letter brought tears to my eyes. It was beautiful and unexpected.
And in a moment I became a mama again, something I wasn’t quite expecting, but what a good surprise. What a good moment.
House of Smooches 