July 6, 2014 – evening

GETTING SETTLED

We were able to sneak a few hours rest before heading out to dinner.  Still exhausted from travel we felt less adventurous than normal and settled for something close and convenient.  They see few westerners in Shanwei and even fewer with two Chinese daughters.  The staff at the restaurant was great and put up with us reassuring them that we didn’t want to eat western style dishes.  We were able to have a good meal and get to know the city a little more.

Tomorrow we’ll venture out into Shanwei more and visit Jing’s orphanage.  Shanwei is small by Chinese standards and doesn’t appear to have benefited as much from the incredible boom over the last 20 years.  At first glance, it’s a sea of dingy grey concrete buildings and chaotic traffic.  We know that below that service are warm and friendly people that we’ll get a chance to meet.  

You’ll have to excuse me for getting a little sentimental and emotional in the next paragraphs.  Dawn and I cringe a little when people talk about our adoptions in terms of “us saving the girls.”  We know there are elements to our children’s story that we’ll never know and we also feel that they have given as much to us, as we have given to them.  Today, in a profound way, I felt a tremendous sense of relief that our paths crossed, that somehow we were put in a place to give them a chance, and in turn, be blessed by their participation in our lives.  

As we walked the streets coming back from dinner, Jing’s hand clasped to mine, I couldn’t help but wonder who she would have become if she had stayed in this city?  What chance would she have been given?  I thought back to her first months with us, when we fought to reel her in.  Those qualities that make her such a great competitor today, presented a challenge to the Dawn, Xixi and me.  I remember being struck by how strong she, and how hard she was fighting to keep us away.   Her baseball coach last year, said that she “has a fire in her belly.”  He’s right and I wonder how that would have played out in this place.  Did that fire come FROM here or is it BECAUSE of here.  How would life in an orphanage, in this Chinese city, have affected this bright, vibrant child?  We’ll never know the answer, but will always be thankful for the gift of her in our lives.