A Very Special Evening

As a writer for Guatadopt, I communicate with hundreds of families a month. With some of them, I develop friendships. Often times, these friendships come to a screeching halt when the kids come home and I am no longer a needed resource. And that is okay because I'm very short on time and there is always someone else there in need to take up that time. It is a very odd experience to get to know so many people and to care deeply for them and yet we will likely never meet in person. Heck, Kelly and I have never even met in person and we've been working together on the site for years.

Well I am ecstatic to say that last week I had the please of meeting a very special family. One that I hope I will not lose contact with no matter how many others are in need. I first spoke with this family at a time when they had all but given up hope in ever bringing their child home. And while I’d love to be able to take credit for their eventual homecoming, in reality I did nothing more than help give them the last crucial bit of energy and hope to continue their search and do whatever it took to resolve their case and bring their child home.

This was the family involved in the infamous Mary Bonn case.

I’m writing this piece for a few reasons. First of all, so many of our readers have privately e-mailed me through all of the controversy asking the only relevant question – how is the child. I am extremely happy to report she is fine and seemingly happy. She is adjusting well and based on the one night I spent with them, she has already attached and bonded with her parents. Never before have I been so happy and relieved to have a darling child completely reject my charms and playfulness that usually make me an instant hit with kids. Why? Because she only wanted to be with mommy and daddy! Even those folks who became so enraged about previous posts on the Bonn situation should be as happy as I am to know that she is doing well!

Secondly I write this because, despite the fact that I hope this will not lead to more heated comments, I can now say that I’ve seen the parents in action. They clearly love their child as I love mine. And if anyone questions what I mean by that, you will get lambasted by me for any inference that my children are anything less than the meaning of life to me. Their story is not one of winning; it is one of a family growing, of nurturing, of determination, and true concern.

Lastly I write this because as I left our meeting I had a huge smile on my face and it wasn’t from the two beers I had enjoyed at dinner. It was from finally feeling relieved from the stress that this whole drama had caused me and of course the family. Our voices tell so much about what is going on in our hearts and emotions. I was finally able to speak to these wonderful people in a normal setting, under normal conditions, as normal adults. Their voices sounded different and it was clear that while they will have their challenges ahead of them, they are ready for them and eager to succeed.

I really wish that I could post the pictures I have of this sweet, beautiful, innocent child wearing the awesome tie-dye my wife made for her. We have a tradition of giving tie-dyes to friends’ kids when they are born or come home in the cases of adoption. But this is a family who has never wanted attention and I am not about to provide the media with a picture to exploit against the family’s wishes, unlike some others who disgustingly have done otherwise to support their own sad agendas and throw one last punch at people who have already been so horribly victimized.

No matter what one may think about what happened in this case, no matter your opinion and judgment may be about each individual detail that transpired, I leave you with one thought that I stake all of the credibility I’ve built during my Guatadopt tenure on. This child is home and with the parents that she deserves to be with and who will act, as they always have tried to, in her best interests. She will grow up in a proper environment and learn proper morals in a loving family environment despite all the perils she faced to get to that point. I suppose in the end it is that fact that caused the big smile to encompass me as I drove back to my hotel. And isn’t it what adoption is all about?!