Simon: "America. Food yummy!" big smile
Me: "Yes, it is!" big smile
Simon: "Ethiopia. Food yummy!" big smile
Me: "Yes, it is!" big smile
Simon: "Mom. Eli, Simon, Ethiopia hungry. Dejene money. Food. Little bit Simon, Eli." smile
Me: "Really, Simon?" smile
Simon: "Yes. Ethiopia Mommy (picture pantomime of a dead person here). Simon sleep. Stand up, change (picture pantomime of a little boy putting clothes on here). Look mommy... (picture pantomime of dead person and a small shake of the little 6 yr old head) No more."
Me: No words. (picture a small nod of the head and tears forming)
Simon: "Simon waa waa" smile
Me: No words. (head still nods slightly, still tears come)
Simon: "Dejene - More Mommy!" big smile (picture my 6 yr old pointing at me with an actual look of joy on his little face that has held so much pain and grief...)
Me: "I love you, Simon." (tears falling)
Dejene is the name of our boys' birth father. Can you make this all out? He went out to get money somehow, to feed his family. He also grieved with his children while he watched his bride fade away from an awful disease that is now so treatable and preventable. My sons slept next to their birth mother when she passed from here into the arms of Jesus, and my 6 yr old remembers all of it. He spilled his guts to tell me what happened to his birth mother and to acknowledge that his birth father wanted him to have a new mommy. And he smiled.
Me: "Yes, it is!" big smile
Simon: "Ethiopia. Food yummy!" big smile
Me: "Yes, it is!" big smile
Simon: "Mom. Eli, Simon, Ethiopia hungry. Dejene money. Food. Little bit Simon, Eli." smile
Me: "Really, Simon?" smile
Simon: "Yes. Ethiopia Mommy (picture pantomime of a dead person here). Simon sleep. Stand up, change (picture pantomime of a little boy putting clothes on here). Look mommy... (picture pantomime of dead person and a small shake of the little 6 yr old head) No more."
Me: No words. (picture a small nod of the head and tears forming)
Simon: "Simon waa waa" smile
Me: No words. (head still nods slightly, still tears come)
Simon: "Dejene - More Mommy!" big smile (picture my 6 yr old pointing at me with an actual look of joy on his little face that has held so much pain and grief...)
Me: "I love you, Simon." (tears falling)
Dejene is the name of our boys' birth father. Can you make this all out? He went out to get money somehow, to feed his family. He also grieved with his children while he watched his bride fade away from an awful disease that is now so treatable and preventable. My sons slept next to their birth mother when she passed from here into the arms of Jesus, and my 6 yr old remembers all of it. He spilled his guts to tell me what happened to his birth mother and to acknowledge that his birth father wanted him to have a new mommy. And he smiled.
