Friends....far and near

I have amazing friends. Friends I see on a daily basis, friends I speak to weekly, or friends I only stay connected to on Facebook. But each and every one of them have stepped up (step, get it?!) to help me, to love me.

And I have a new circle of friends. My friends who have adopted from Africa, or are on the waiting list, or have received a picture of their child. And that circle grows daily, it seems. And these new friends are showing me what I'm about to experience, what amazing things I cannot even imagine.

I remember when Jo sent me a picture of her son, and the chills I got when I looked into those eyes. Knowing that someday, I would get a picture like that.

And the other day when Megan's sister brought her daughter home and I watched video of family and friends greeting them at the airport. I saw "International Arrivals" (the very first clip on the video) and lost it. I was a complete puddle.

And so while last week when I sat in the hospital with my friend and her hours-old baby and got sad because I would never be in that situation, never have people come visit me at the hospital, never see my baby this young, suddenly I realized that I have new experiences from other people that I will be sharing in.

And I watched Maleah's welcome home video again and realized that someday soon, someday in the next two years, that will be me.