Generosity

Money can be a hard thing to explain to kids.  To them "a lot" of money is a few dollars.  If I were to tell our 8 and 6 year olds that the adoption/hosting/referral fees are going to cost us around $30,000 they wouldn't even know what to do with that information.  They know that we have made changes in how we spend money, but we don't want to scare them into thinking we have nothing to spare.  I know that our 6 year old is taking our conversations to heart because she worries that we won't have enough money to buy Olga clothes when she gets here.  She has literally told me that she doesn't need something because we should save the money for Olga.  I really didn't think our 8 year old thought about it one way or another.  He still asks to buy things and I usually tell him no without saying that we need to save our money for the adoption.  I don't want him to become resentful over the adoption or Olga.

Our son had a conversation with his best friend a few days ago.  The conversation was all about Olga and how our family was trying to raise funds to help with the adoption fees.  His best friend is an adorable little 8 year old girl from down the street.  He explained to her in his best 8 year old way that the adoption will be very expensive and that we (Mom & Dad) have been asking people to give us money to help bring Olga home.  His friend told him that she would make a donation to us for Olga's adoption.  He very excitedly shared this information with me.  I just sort of nodded and said that would be very nice.  The very next morning at the bus stop our son's friend called him over to where she was.  They huddled and talked for a minute before they approached me.  She smiled sweetly and handed me a $5 bill.  I started to ask her what the money was for before I remembered what my son had told me.  I didn't even know what to say.  That $5 donation was given with love and generosity straight from her heart.  I spoke with her mother later that morning to tell her what her precious had done.  Her mom told me that her daughter had counted all of her money, came up with $7.50 and without hesitating decided that she would give $5 of it to help with Olga's adoption.  That's 80% of what she had!  That is five pieces of junk precious treasures from the Dollar Store that children seem to cherish.  In the eyes of an 8 year old, that's huge!  And in the eyes of this grown woman who sees the mountain before her, it is beyond huge.  I don't know that this little girl will ever realize the impact she made with her very simple gesture.  But I will remember it always.

If you would like to help us offset the adoption, you can donate below or contact me directly.

I don't have too much of an "Olga Update", but I did speak with Olga at her school.  She is doing well and has received the first package I sent.  She said it is very cold there and asked what it was like here.  She asked if there would be snow for Christmas and was a little disappointed when I told her no.  We talked about how much we missed and loved each other.  She sent her love along to Daddy, Rhys, Maddox and many others.  I really miss her!

Thanks to everyone for their incredible support!

S~