Don't you enjoy seeing the relationships develop between your children? Yesterday was in the mid-40s (can't believe I was excited by that!) and we went outside to take advantage of the sun. Jonathan, who has been a bit, how shall I say it, temperamental lately (yes, that's a good word) had a wonderful burst of kindness for a few delicious moments. He made a game of pushing Elijah's car around the yard. Elijah thought it amazing, and laughter that made me remember why I love being a mom was ringing out from one side of the yard. (Trishna's whining was ringing out from the other side, as she was unimpressed with being left out of this little activity).
When we began our first international adoption, we had to decide if we wanted a boy or a girl. Somehow we really believed that our Liberian child was meant to be another son. Looking back, I never remember questioning this or longing for a girl so we could have 'one of each.' I just knew another boy was on the way for our family. Watching these guys together, it's so clearly a perfect fit.
Recently I was reading to the children from A Life Like Mine, a wonderful book about the needs of children around the world. That day the topic was education. We were learning about South Africa, and I read a paragraph stating that until recently children with brown skin and light skin couldn't go to school together there. Jonathan and Elijah looked at me like I had antlers growing out of my head. "Why not?", they asked. "We go to school together and we live in the same house!" I love that discrimination seems so absurd to them because of our beautifully diverse family.
And I love watching the bond between these brothers, born in two vastly different worlds, grow stronger with each passing day we spend together.
