The Day I Met My Daughters

Normally I don't live my life saying "one year ago today..." but last year was such a watershed year, that I do find myself doing that alot lately. So bear with me, 'cause this was, in retrospect, one of the most important days in my life. One year ago, today. It was the day I boarded a plane in Miami (after pulling an all-nighter, of course!) bound for Port-au-Prince, with my miracle-fast dossier. It was the day I met a lot of soon to be important people in my life, like M, the director of the O. Most importantly, it was the day I met W and L. I did not know they were going to be my daughters before I got there. When I saw W in the orphanage courtyard that afternoon, cruising the perimeter of the action, I was immediately bowled over by her physical presence. I also experienced a twinge of recognition which I chalked up to having seen pictures of her before. But to me, her pictures did not do her justice. Sometimes I wonder if at that moment I actually recognized her on a deeper level. Because I had such a gut reaction. And I don't really react to physical beauty normally. I mean, there were a ton of really cute little kids running around there. Later, when Dada the nanny brought them out to the porch for me to actually meet, I was again taken with their physical beauty but also their mannerisms. They must have been scared. They were sweet and shy and well behaved. Especially L. :) Dada was trying to get them to be extroverted, but it was a stretch. (OH HOW FAR WE HAVE COME!) I actually had to cut the visit short, as we were rudely interrupted by a desperately aggressive Haitian woman who brought her daughters in for me to meet, and took over all the interaction. When the woman started showing me her older daughter's teeth, I had to get out of there. I just couldn't take it. I made arrangements to bring W and L to Walls for the following day to visit, before I left. This was our beginning.