An Incredible Hug

I got the most amazing gift today. I was working at the auto show when I say hi to a family with an adorable little girl from China. She looked around the size our daughter may be when we get her home. Maybe a bit bigger. I wonder to myself if she is the same age as my little girl. The mom seems nice so I ask her. She's 3. I say that we were adopting a girl from Thailand and we begin sharing our stories. She is so kind and open, I was touched. She didn't know me at all and yet we had this great connection through our daughters. Her family was waiting for her in another booth by now so she gave me her email and we parted ways. 

I go back to working, still in awe of this nice break in my day when she comes back 5 minutes later with her daughter. She brought her over to me and said I want you to meet Mommy's new friend, Jen. I squatted down to say hi and her mom said something to her and she came over and hugged me! It was so sweet. Now I have hugged plenty of kids before, but this felt like something I can not describe. She had her hug me one more time before they went. It was as if this mom new this was exactly what I needed today. This is going to sound really stupid, but I have never hugged a little Asian girl. Especially not one so close in age and size and big brown eyes like Ruby's. It hit so close to home to me that I couldn't fight the tears.

I have often dreamed of what it will feel like to hug my little girl. I have tried to imagine it and the picture just wouldn't come. Now I know what it feels like. I said a quick goodbye and thank you and made a bee-line for the restroom. I overflowed with tears. Tears of joy and comfort, tears for my baby I can't hug yet, and tears of gratefulness that this mom shared her precious little one's hug with me. My heart now knows how great a hug from my daughter will be and how it will feel. And it's gonna feel, really really great. Oh, how worth the wait that hug will be.

I can handle the wait for that. I can handle anything for that kind of pay off!

Thank you, P, for that incredible gift today. You can't imagine what that did for me. Then again, I guess you can.