I'M CHANGED

He doesn't have my dad's eyes.  He doesn't have my mom's nose.  His hair is the opposite of every one of ours.  His smile lights up anyone's world, but it didn't come from us.

He has his momma's nose.  He has her toes.  He's half Jamaican, half Congolese with triple the amount of melanin we would ever have.  His eyes are the most beautiful I have ever seen with my own, but they didn't come from us.

He has two moms, two dads.  He weighed more than I did at a year at six months.  He'll be the tallest in my family because he didn't inherit our short genes.  He has a heritage and birth story unlike anyone in my family.

But it makes no difference to me.

No, I don't think of it all when I see his face.  I don't stare at his face thinking all those things.  I think of it is a blessing.  As an honor.  I am truly blessed that my God would give this gift to my family.  And that He placed Trey's sweet birthmother in our life just to give us this blessing.  I remember in the delivery room as he was being weighed someone, in tears, said, "Look at him!  She's giving you this gift."  It's the simplest statement ever, truly.  But the way in which it was said made it so overwhelming.  Through tears.  In the most precious time of my life.  Those words were spoken and it's what I think of every day when I see his face.

Those beautiful eyes that I love, that nose that reminds me of her, that smile that gives me joy.  It's the part of adoption that overwhelms you.  I must say that having the opportunity to have known Trey's birthmother in such a way has honestly changed me.  For the rest of my life, I will not be the same.  The fact that I can look at his face and see her?  And think of the most sacrificing, selfless person anyone could ever meet?  It's the most gratifying, humbling, most beautiful thing in the whole world.