Eleven

ELEVEN DAYS until we leave!

In two weeks we will have already met Katie.  

That is crazy for me to think about.

Today I was very busy at work.  I looked at the clock and it was 3:40, and we hadn't gone to court yet to do the day's filings.  I grabbed our stack and headed out the door.  I walked to the courthouse and set off the metal detector.  I stepped through again, and it went off again.  To say I was annoyed would be putting it mildly.  A quick scan with the wand later, and I hurried up the stairs with my files.  

While I was in the clerk's office, the ladies were talking about Valentine's Day.  The woman helping me asked if my husband was going to get my something special for the big day.  I told her that we're taking a trip at the end of the month, and that was enough of a "Valentine's" gift.  She asked where we were going, I'm sure expecting to hear some beach or something.  I told her the name of Katie's country, and she looked at me like she was shocked.  Sort of a why-would-you-go-there-in-the-winter look.  You know - crazy eyes we call it!  I told her that we're adopting a child, and this is our first trip.  She was very excited, and asked me a couple more questions.  

Another woman sitting a little further back said she knew someone who had adopted two children from Katie's country, and she asked if we knew which child we would adopt.  I explained that Katie has special needs, and we picked her because of her special needs.  She came out from behind her desk and asked me what sort of "special needs" KR has.  I told her Down syndrome, and her eyes got wide.  I see this woman literally every single work day.  

And I never knew she has a granddaughter with Down syndrome.  

She is very familiar with Reece's Rainbow, and she was so excited that we're adopting Katie.  Her granddaughter is three years old.  She asked me some more questions about Katie, and she got teary and gave me a big hug.  She whispered, "You're saving her life.  You are literally saving her life."  

She gets it.  

For every ignorant comment we'll hear, and for every snide look we'll receive, for every sideways glance we may get and for every uninformed question we'll hear, there is someone like that little girl's grandmother.  Someone who gets it.  Someone who has a person in his or her life who is special like Katie.  And who gets it.  

Happy Valentine's day to my little sweetie - I will give her some special belated Valentine smooches in a couple of weeks!