Susan Ward: Becoming a Perfect Family: Part 3

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I flew Lufthansa from Atlanta to Frankfort and on to Moscow. On the plane, I re-read adoption adjustment articles and practiced my Russian. (I got a tutor and became semi-proficient in the basics. I used every word and phrase I learned and could not have survived the first few weeks without it.)

My agency was excellent with the details! Once I arrived in Russia I just looked for what they told me, went where I was directed, did what they said, distributed gifts as instructed, and signed where they told me to sign!

The morning after I arrived in Moscow, we left for Yaraslavl (north of Moscow) by van. It was me, my coordinator Svetlana, my translator Sasha, (a mother and son team) and the driver, no other families. We made two stops; at the oldest active monastery in Russia, and at a restaurant for lunch. We traveled along pine-tree lined, snow-covered, two-lane roads. We saw colorful, wooden, homes and occasional onion-domed buildings.

After six hours, we drove up a snow-covered lane to the hospital where I was picking up Hannah. Everyone else got out of the van and I was left there alone. Looking at the back of the building. In the cold. Engine turned off. No sounds. Snowing lightly.

Sasha came back and said, "She was taking a nap but they're getting her dressed now. You can come up." I made sure I had the right knapsack and shakily got out of the van. We walked up three flights of stairs (dim, bluish lights, grim colors, women in white lab coats washing the stairs by hand).

We opened a door into an office. Svetlana was seated at the back of the room talking to a little girl whose back was towards me. Was that her? Would I recognize her? She spun around as the door opened and walked quickly toward me. As she got in front of me, she glanced down and slowly held up her arms. I leaned down and she leaped into my arms. She wrapped her arms and legs around me and buried her face in my neck. I couldn't remember ANY of my Russian! Finally, I said, "Ya tvoia mama." She smiled and nodded and re-buried her face in my neck.

Upcoming…Part 4: Wild Child
(Or Was I An Inept Mama?)

[Susan Ward, founder of Heritage Communications, maintains Older Child Adoption Online Magazine. This regularly updated website includes articles, personal insights, links, books and more. There are special sections on single parenting, reactive attachment disorder, and "Adopted Just Like Me for Kids." Susan is also mama to Hannah, age 9, adopted at age 6 from Russia.]