So, so blessed

Despite feeling picked-on by the fates for this looooong TA wait (now on day #93), I am so often and in so many ways reminded that I am truly blessed, and yesterday two major events jumped up, smacked me in the face, and reminded me of that when I was feeling a little low after learning that my TA was not on the bird from Beijing (the package I'd been stalking).

The first was that just recently I joined (yet another) Yahoo group, this one for people either seeking to get or seeking to be travel companions to those who don't have anyone to help out on the adoption trip. Even though I feel relatively prepared for all of this, it would still be soooo nice to have someone to do the picture-taking and be the extra pair of eyes and hands that is so valuable on an endeavor like this. And my friends, God bless every one of 'em, have lives that they just can't break away from for this length of time.

So I posted to this group, after noticing in the database that all of the people seeking to be travel companions have already adopted themselves and most have more than one child, whether adopted or bio or a combination thereof, and I asked them how they are all able to walk away from their lives. Wham!!! Immediately 4 or 5 responses came back, each telling of what awesome support they have from friends, family, spouses, whatever. One response was from one of the co-moderators with some specifics, and it led to a conversation, and the next thing I know, I have a travel companion lined up who is even doing fundraising for her plane ticket (I'll cover the acommodations and meals) and who is still willing to go even if it ends up that I'm having to go over the holidays. (Praying that won't happen, but it was one of my concerns, since this process is so unpredictable.) She is also a very strong Christian, which will help keep me focused if/when things get a little rough on this trip. We talked on the phone last night for nearly an hour and a half, and it felt like talking to an old friend. I am feeling truly blessed to have found her, and I think this will turn into another life-long friendship.

The second thing was that during class at college last night, I happened to get into a conversation with my prof and mentioned my concern that the way things were dragging on, with my luck the TA would come with such timing that I would have to sit on it until after the final exam on Dec 11 and not be able to leave as soon as I might otherwise to get my son. (Since the final exam is "live" because the professor signs the questions and has you sign back, there is no make-up possibility. You are there for the exam, or you fail. Period.) When she heard that I might have to wait to leave just because of the exam, she immediately and without hesitation said no, no, no--for a circumstance such as this, she would actually be willing to administer the exam early to me so that I could get out of Dodge. So I'm just to let her know if this happens and I need to either miss a chunk of class or take the exam early, and she'll work with me on whatever is needed.

I simply couldn't have asked for any better blessings yesterday, other than to get the actual TA and be getting ready to go. And I have to keep reminding myself that it's all in God's time, not mine, that this will happen. That's not easy to remember now that we're coming down to the wire on this. I'm just way too human.