As if it was me...

Throughout this two year long process I have read and reread several accounts, on different blogs by different adoptive parents, of how the day of “the call” went down. Although each family is different, each story is different; they are all made of the same recipe.

The stories usually start out with “I was at work”.
Or
“My husband was away on business.”
Or
“I was out to lunch and my cell phone rang and I was nowhere near a computer.”

Somewhere, throughout each story there is a description of the celebration. “I screamed out loud”. “I cried tears of joy for days” “I ran out of work to be with my husband” “I told my friends to pick up the lunch bill, as I was a new parent” “I waited until my husband came home from business so that we could see our child’s face together, for the first time”.
Sometimes, if we the reader, are really lucky, the writer will provide a video of the family opening the email. I cry each and every time I see one of these.

I have dreamed for the last two years of the day that Darryl and I would get the call. I have all sorts of fantasies about Darryl and I being alone, seeing our daughter’s face, reading the beginning of her life’s story. Typically in these dreams we are hugging and crying and screaming words of thanks to the universe. Then later in the evening all our friends and families would come by to celebrate with us. We would each be mesmerized by her little face, her little fingers, her toes, her eyes, the way her lips curl at the ends, the way her profile looks when she’s tired.. And then we would attempt to go to sleep but each time I close my eyes, I see her face. I can’t sleep for a single second. Instead Darryl and I make a nice pot of tea and stay up all night talking and celebrating together. Even the dog sports an “I’m a big brother" sweatshirt.

Yesterday, after 5 months of torture, of hope, of perseverance and determination, our agency sent out it’s first two (that we know of) referrals. Two families received “the call” and I can tell you, with all honesty, that I felt like I had received the call myself .

This is how it all went down.

I was sitting at work. I was in my cubicle. I was full from a team lunch that we just had to celebrate the holidays. I returned from the extended lunch and had NO motivation to work when my computer beeped with an email. I had a look, not expecting an email from the agency because we had just had a biweekly update the day before. And there it was, subject line “Imagine Update”. I knew this had to be something because why would they send another update so soon after the last? So, needless to say, when I read, “We are also very excited to inform you that we have been able to commence the process of referrals once again!” I almost fell out of my chair. My heart instantly began to pound. I read and reread that line what must have been 6 times. I was sure I was misreading it. I was positive they meant that referrals would begin soon, like in January or something. But, they didn’t mean that at all. They had referred at least two families and this was not a dream for the future. I was living it then. I am still living it. I feel like I had received my own referral.

Congratulations to the two families that received their referrals. Congratulations to all the families that has been through this nightmare with me. Congratulations to the staff and Board of Imagine Adoption 2 who made this happen with all of their hard work. WE DID IT! TOGETHER we did it!!!

***edit***RECENTLY CONFIRMED FOUR REFERRALS!!!!