How many people ....

How many people does it take to bring a child home?

Just his parents, right?

Wrong.

It takes the family of the child’s parents, to step up and hold the fort down when Mom and Dad fly halfway across the world.

It takes the brothers and sisters of the child, to hold themselves up straight and tall, secure, confident, responsible in their parents’ absence, though their world has been momentarily turned upside-down.

It takes friends of the parents to lend a hand, take care of precious cargo, watch over critters, and listen as countless worries are poured forth.

It takes a venerable mountain of paperwork, hours upon endless hours of paperchasing, bureaucratic run-arounds, interfacing with government officials from several states and two countries.

It takes competent agency coordinators, to alert flustered parents to documents in need of updating and next steps to take, and answer questions day after day, month after agonizing month.

It takes the amazing network of adoptive families to shine the light to illuminate the rocky path.

It takes caring teachers and a supportive school, to keep tabs on worried kids while parents are away.

It takes coaches and team parents to pull together to ensure one of their own will find a way to practices and games.

It takes a workplace that allows a pivotal employee to take leave of work for weeks on end.

It takes all those mentioned to muster their patience, their flexibility, their courage, their love, their forgiveness and their support. In short, it takes a village, if not to raise a child, at least to bring him home. My sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those in our lives who have helped get us to this point. We couldn’t have done it without you!