Have tissue ready!

Our daughter, Elizabeth, has captured the essence of adoption and the importance of caring for orphans. She has a very sensitive heart, and I pray that she uses her gift of compassion in her profession as an adult.

Her 8th grade literature class had a writing assignment in December, 2007. She penned the following poem. Once we were home, she rewrote the poem. I share these with you as they are sure to touch your hearts, not only because they were written by our daughter.

LONELY for Wang Meiyue, our Lydia Mei Marie

Lonely lives in a Chinese orphanage

where she cries at night while sleeping

for not having a mother or father.

She wears layers of warm clothes,

plays with her shoes, and waits,

crying to herself because she wants a family.

She has almond eyes, a soft face,

red cheeks, and a baby toothed smile,

with a lonely heart wanting a mother's love.

Lonely does have a family

in a place faraway, waiting for her

already loving her,waiting very impatiently.

Lonely dreams of having siblings,

not always dreaming but wanting,

hoping they long for her, too,and they do.

LOVED

Loved lives in our home

where she smiles day and night

for she's with her mother and father.

She wears cute baby clothes,

plays with blocks, and laughs,

smiling to herself because she has a family.

She has almond eyes, a soft face,
red cheeks, and a baby toothed smile
with a healed heart holding her mother's love.

Loved has a family

on the couch nearby, watching her,

loving and hugging her,

not remembering what it was before.

Loved looks at her siblings

and thinks of the time when she hoped

that they were longing for her,

and they were.

To Lydia Mei,

Love, Elizabeth