Our Little Miracle Girl

Ayi ("Auntie" in Chinese) Julia holds a special place in our hearts around here. Her husband, a.k.a. Shu Shu ("Uncle") too. There's something sacred about friends who drop everything to jump on a plane and cross the world to be with you when you meet your daughter. Jeff and Julia sacrificed in so many ways and reached way out of their comfort zones to make that trip. They left their three boys home, appointed substitute coaches to run the Miracle League of Delray Beach, a very special baseball league for children with disabilities that they founded. They also left behind a sick beloved dog named Daisy who crossed the Rainbow Bridge while they were gone. Not to mention the financial burden. But nothing stopped them--they wanted to witness the miracle of adoption.

It didn't take long for Lulu to bond with Ayi and Shu Shu in China. Nor did it take long for them to fall in love with her.

And it became crystal clear in a foreign land that Ayi and Shu Shu were destined to be Lulu's Godparents.

Lulu and Ayi will always have an extra-special bond, I believe, and Lulu will always know that they, too, crossed oceans for her. She knows how very much they adore her.

 

Albert Einstein once said, "There are two ways to live your life. One, as though nothing is a miracle. The other, as though everything is."

Yesterday was a beautiful day. We went to the field for the Miracle League's opening ceremonies, and we were privileged to witness Jeff and Julia renew their wedding vows for their 25th wedding anniversary. While we watched the game after, I overheard a woman asking a mom if her daughter wanted to be a cheerleader. Well, who am I to keep my mouth shut? I asked her what the requirements were, and the next thing you know, Lulu and I are walking across the grass to suit up in a new uniform and practice with pom poms. 

So, can you even imagine the look on Ayi Julia's face yesterday when five months to the day that Lulu walked off a plane as a U.S. citizen, she surprised Ayi and walked onto the baseball field as a Miracle League cheerleader? Her expression is ingrained in my brain forever--I wish you could've seen it. And Lulu was beyond proud of herself, just so determined to follow every move to the best of her ability. Julia and I held back tears and shook our heads, both acknowledging the miracle. Who could've possibly scripted this? God did, of course. He is, after all, in the business of making miracles...