Mommy's Little Girl

Today would have been my Papa's seventy-fourth birthday. We lost him to Parkinson's Disease almost three years ago. I truly believe that Papa has been beside me every step of our adoption process. When I need it, I call upon him for strength. I ask him to look over Kennedy and be her guardian angel. Perhaps it was Papa's birthday today that inspired me to to write a poem for Kennedy, "Mommy's Little Girl".

Mommy’s little girl was alive in Mommy’s heart long before baby’s first breath.
Mommy prayed for her for so long;
starting a journal seven years before she was born.

She already knew what her name would be,
Kennedy Marguerite, Mommy whispered with glee.

Mommy just knew she would have a little girl.
“I’ll teach her to shoot hoops and a baton to twirl!”

Mommy imagined what she would look like. “I hope she has my dark hair and dark eyes.
I hope she has olive skin like mine.”

Yes, Mommy knew someday Kennedy Marguerite
would make our loving family complete.

As the days turned into months, and the months turned into years,
Mommy kept praying for Kennedy through all the tears.

Some days were more difficult for Mommy.
She would talk to Daddy and he would reassure her calmly.

Mommy kept wondering, “Can we adopt?”
But before she would say it out loud, something would always make her stop.

“What if adoption wasn’t the option? Then what would we do?”

Mommy prayed to God for guidance. Then one day Mommy was at Grammy’s pool
and Mamma was there too.

Mamma told Mommy a wonderful story
about the Maneval’s, Guatemala, and Lorrie.

Mamma said, “Give Lorrie a call.”
And Mommy thought, “Could this be the path to our baby after all?”

It was at that moment Mommy realized
this was the sign. It took her by surprise.

So later that night, Mommy talked to Daddy,
and we were both so very ecstatically happy!

Mommy called Lorrie the very next day.
But for one week Lorrie had to put our meeting on delay.

As more and more anticipation was built,
our hearts, with joy, were over filled.

When the day arrived, Mommy held Daddy’s hand
as Lorrie explained the adoption plan.

As tears streamed down Mommy’s face,
Lorrie uttered the words that would change our life’s pace.

“It is all possible,” Lorrie repeated.
And for the very first time, Mommy truly believed it.