Happy Chinese New Year

January 26 marks the first day of 2009 on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It is considered one of the most important holidays to the Chinese and can last up to a month long. Transportation and accomodations in China during this time are hard to come by as millions of migrant workers and students flock to home. Businesses shut down for at least a week...many as long as the holiday lasts.

This year is the year of the Ox. Those born in ox years tend to be painters, engineers, and architects. People born in the Year of the Ox are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. They tend, however, to be eccentric, and bigoted, and they anger easily. They have fierce tempers and although they speak little, when they do they are quite eloquent. Ox people are mentally and physically alert. Generally easy-going, they can be remarkably stubborn, and they hate to fail or be opposed. They are most compatible with Snake, Rooster, and Rat people. Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Walt Disney and Anthony Hopkins were all born in the year of the ox.

Our FCC group (Families with Children from China) held our annual celebration on Saturday in Temple, Texas. Our family drove down to enjoy a few hours with the other families in Central Texas at a great Chinese place. There was crafts and a magician and good food and friends. Seven families brough babies home this year...most of which we met for the first time that day. Also, I stepped down from my Vice President position along with the other officers and we passed leadership on to the next set. I look forward to seeing what they will come up with as activities for the year as we have so few resources in our area.

This is also the time of year that I think alot about MM's mother. Is she enjoying the holidays with her family? Is she healthy? Does she have other children? Does she think about the little girl she left along the market road? And, WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?????

I know I can't understand a different culture with a different view of the value of life. I know I've never walked in her shoes. But mostly, I grieve for the fact that I have NO answers to give to my daughter. And it is highly unlikely that I will ever have answers. I have had someone investigate the police report and try to find out who found her and called the police. No luck. No trail. Nothing to offer my child other than pictures of the police station she was taken to, and the area she was found. Not much at all.

Right now my baby is all about who's tummy did she grow in. She wants to know if her China mommy went to the hospital. And all I can give her is an "I don't know."

I could do like others and tell her that she was "left to be found" or that of course she was born in a hospital. But why would I do that? I don't have that information. And I'm not going to make it up just to make my baby feel better....until she gets older and finds out that I'm guessing. Not touching that. But I really hate telling her that I don't know.

And how did this turn into a post about adoption????

So, back to Chinese New Year! Some of my favorite pics from the WWW.....