In one of my previous posts, when we were in Taiwan, I probably made reference to the Copeland family. We shared an important part of our adoption journey with them. We shared the same hotel in Taiwan, traveled all over Taipei together...but most importantly we shared Gotcha Day. It is a day that I will never forget. Our facilitator, Mei Rui, picked us up at the Golden China Hotel at around 11:30 that day. We met her in the lobby and that was also the first time we met the Copeland's. They had traveled to Taiwan from Oregon to pick up their baby boy.
I remember I got a little nervous when I saw the Copeland's diaper bag. They had packed a bit more than us and suddenly I felt unprepared, but Trisha assured me that they were notorious for overpacking (I couldn't help but still be concerned). We loaded up our bags, cameras, etc. and headed for Taichung, Taiwan. It was about a two hour drive, so we had a chance to get to know each other a little. It was very comforting to be in the company of people who were probably experiencing the same emotions as us. We did have periods of long silence on the way to Taichung. I guess each of us was trying to envision "the moment" to come. A moment that you can't prepare for or even describe with words. A moment that you play over in your mind a thousand times. I imagine each of us in that Toyota Surf had one thing on our minds...our son!
After what seemed like an endless trip, Mei Rui pulled off at an interesting rest area about half an hour shy of our destination. I felt the mixed bag of emotions rising. Nerves, joy, excitement all rolled into one. After a brief stop, we continued on the last leg of the trip to Taichung.
Our first stop was at the agency where they gave us bags full of all the items we had sent to our son's foster home. We also dropped off gifts for the agency, foster home and birthmother. Our sons were in different foster homes so at that point, the Copeland's left with another rep from the agency and we left with Mei Rui. We wished each other well as we knew the moment was near and when we saw each other again, there would be two more people to put in the car...two little baby boys! The feeling I had is indescribable.
Well, we went to the foster home to meet our son...and that is an incredible story for another time. And when we returned to the agency, there the Copeland family sat with David Kai. They were siting at a small table with him and I will never forget that sight. It was amazing. Just moments before, we were parents of children that we had never held in our arms...but now our arms were full...bouncing baby boys!
We hopped back in that Toyota Surf, but this time the silence was different. Two Dads in the third row seat looking over the shoulders of two Moms embracing their sons. For this car ride, the silence was full of peace. The anticipation and waiting was over. The moment that we had played over a thousand times in our minds had arrived and proved to be all that we had dreamed of. Two baby boys with pink pacifiers. A car full of joy and answered paryers. Praise the Lord and let the good times roll!!!
Thank you God for David Kai and Benjamin Cheng-Yu.
