An open letter to my daughter's biological mother

To my daughter’s biological mother on Mother’s Day:

About two years ago, you received a beautiful gift. You found out you had a little person growing in your belly.

A little over 14 months ago, that little person was born. It was a girl.

No doubt, this caused you great heartache. As much as you loved your child, you knew you had to choose to have someone else raise her. You had to leave her somewhere so that she would be found quickly, as even in the south of China, February is cold.

Maybe you named her. We’ll never know.

Thanks to your careful planning, she was found quickly, and taken into a warm place. She was later placed in an orphanage where she would spend the next 6 months growing and becoming her own little person.

She was then placed in Foster Care, where a kind couple and their 18 year old son cared for her every day. They loved her enough to want her to go to a good family. As you did. Of that I am sure.

When they had to let her go, they had cared for her for 6 long months. Teaching her all they could. They healed her when she was sick, held her when she was sad, and laughed with her when she was happy.

Then one day, she was taken away. She didn’t know why, or what was going on.

She was given to two strangers who cried hysterically as they tried to hold her. She cried too, screaming and pushing them away, because she was so confused. She fell asleep crying that day.

The strangers took good care of her. She felt it right away. Sometimes, they didn’t understand what she wanted or needed, but they got to know each other, and soon, she realized that those strangers were Mama and Dada. And that she was Julia.

Mama and Dada thank you, Mom, for making sure that your daughter was able to be placed with us. Thank you for making sure she was found quickly. We know that leaving her behind wasn’t easy for you. Whatever the reasons, and however the decision was made, please know that you have made us the most happy people in the world and have completed our lives. Julia is everything we ever imagined her to be and more.

Someday, she will be a teacher, a doctor, or a stand-up comedian :-) . Or maybe a gymnast or a hockey player. Or even a musician, or a painter. But one thing we do know is that she will be well cared for forever. We will make sure of that.

Thank you, Mom, for our dream come true. Thank you for the beautiful, selfless gift you gave us. Thank you for Julia. She has made our life complete.

I don’t know who you are. I don’t know where you live. I will probably never find out. But you are in my prayers every night as I ask God to protect the woman who gave life to this beautiful child, and who cared enough to make sure she got to us. Thank for sharing your gift, and making me a Mom, too.

On Mother’s Day, I thank you…