My sweet Hannah.
For the last 8 years we have celebrated this day with so much joy. We’ve smiled and laughed and loved spending time together doing something new together, just the three of us.
But this year is different. It’s the first Gotcha Day without your dad
I knew all the firsts would be tough and this one is no different. It really doesn’t seem quite right to celebrate it because your dad isn’t here. This day exists because your dad is your dad and he should be here.
I’ll never forget the very first Gotcha Day in 2012. We got the phone call from our lawyer saying “Congratulations! It’s official!” It just felt so awesome knowing our names would be on your birth certificate as your mom and dad. No more social worker visits. Bills were taken care of. Finally we could live a “normal” life without feeling watched all the time.
I love that you were adopted. It’s a part of your story and it’s an amazing one that I hope you’ll share as you grow older. It has God written all over it.
But please keep in mind that you WERE adopted. Past tense. Too many times I hear people say you ARE adopted and while I get their reasoning, I want to correct them. The minute we got the call saying you were legally ours, you were our baby. The courts said it. Documents said it. Your birth mother’s name was no longer on the paperwork. It was like I gave birth to you. It’s like when you graduate from high school, you’ve graduated. You aren’t graduating. It’s a part of your story but it’s in the past.
Does that make sense?
So in my mind, you are our baby girl and alway were. You just came to us differently. But I know adoption is a part of your story and I want you to be so proud of that. So very proud. I hope you share it because I know you can be there for so many and you can change the world. You are so blessed.
As we face this day without your dad it will be so hard. But what I do know is he would want us to be happy. He was always happiest when we were happy. I know he will be with us. I know he will be smiling. I know we can do this. We will always be a family. You, me and Daddy. We may not physically be together anymore but we are together in spirit and one day will be together in heaven again
I love you sweetheart. 8 years ago it was one of the happiest days of my life. You are my baby girl and I am so very proud of you.
Love
Mommy
