Fast Forward

It hit me today after making the moron move of the week and realizing I'd likely climaxed to the peak of my stress, that I needed to slow myself down just a wee bit. So, I sat on the edge of the bed after pouring out my most recent stress-mess-up to a friend (and being on the receiving end of encouragement that maybe it wasn't quite as bad as I'd originally thought...it was pretty bad though) and took a deep breath. And another.

And I thought.

And then it hit me.

This time next week we will be different.

Not from the (completion of) packing, and driving, and ferrying, and more driving, and flying (let's not forget about the layovering) and time changing, and seeing and experiencing. Yes, certainly we will experience change.

We will be different though, because this time next week we will have met our daughter...our fifth family member.

We will be different because this time next week we will have stood in front of a judge.

We will be different because we will have been graced by her gaze, her curls, her country, her culture, her home.

And, while we will not leave with her this time around, we pray with all that is within us that we will leave, legally five.

Fast forward one week - we will be different.