My Daughter's Mothers

Here are photos of the people who have "mothered" my daughter so far in her first year of life; however, the most important one, her birth mom, is one we'll never see.  Today I honor her for carrying this baby in her body, delivering her safely, and, for reasons which will never be known, choosing for her to have a life elsewhere.  Though I've never given birth, I can imagine the bond that was forged during their brief time together, and her sacrifice has led to my joy.  Adoption is a strange experience in this way, the blending of one's pain and another's bliss, both of which the child experiences.  Vietnam has among the highest abortion rates in the world, yet Beatrice's birth mother chose a different path.  I can only pray on this day that she would feel pleased with her decision if she could see her today.  So today I gratefully celebrate my first Mother's Day, while simultaneously giving thanks to the beautiful women in the Bac Ninh orphanage who lovingly nurtured little Minh Hanh, and, first and foremost, to the nameless and faceless woman who brought this incredible life into the world.