The Care Package

Tony and I have sent a care package to Lily's foster family. There are conflicting opinions in the adoption community about whether this is appropriate or not. There are also many stories about care packages that never reach their intended destination. However, this is something we still felt really strongly that we wanted to do. We are optimistic that our package will reach Lily and her foster family....and we will follow the DHL tracking number to try and make sure it does!

Tony and I really struggled with what to send. We've gotten different advice about what is appreciated/wanted or not appreciated/wanted. We tried to err on the side of sending a little bit of different things and hopefully something will hit the mark. Some of the things we included are: chocolates, jelly beans, body lotions, body sprays, baby outfits, and baby blankets. We also sent a little lovey for Lily, a small photo album filled with pictures of our family, and a disposable camera. We are hoping Lily's foster family will take pictures of all of them together so that we can share these pictures with Lily when she is older.

We included a thank you letter to Lily's foster family, too. A friend of ours was kind enough to translate the letter and to provide a little guidance about appropriate wording, etc. When we tried to write the letter we again found ourselves at a complete loss. There are no words to express the gratitude and love we feel for the care, love, and nurturing they have provided Lily. We tried to assure Lily's foster family that we would never forget all that they have done for her and that we would try to be the very best parents we could be.

Putting together the care package was an extremely emotional experience. It helped us to realize what we already knew....there just aren't enough gifts or the right words to thank the people that hold our heart in their hands.