One of my favorite book series is Anne of Green Gables. The summer we drove across Canada and camped on Prince Edward Island, Anne’s home, I read the series as we passed the Lake of Shining Waters and the White Way of Delight. Lucy MM’s writing is superb. The words that come out of Anne’s mouth are hysterical! She is so full of imagination and wonder at every little thing… and highly dramatic! So funny!
Several months ago, I started reading a shortened version of the book to Nora, our little adopted daughter. I wondered how it would affect her, hearing about Anne’s heartbreak at not having a family. The book glossed it over pretty well and got right into the daily events on Anne’s life at Green Gables. Yesterday, I found the movie online for Nora to watch. It is over two and a half hours long so it took three sittings to finish it all. Nora sat on the end of her chair the entire movie! It was priceless.
This tentative look on Anne’s face as she waits for Matthew at the train station…. it’s the same one I saw on Nora’s face the day we got her. “Will they like me?” “Am I okay?” “Will they keep me?” “Will I be safe?” “Everything changes today.” WOW!
The movie does not sugar coat the fact that no one wanted the red haired orphan in the beginning. Nora didn’t say much, other than looking at me with wondering eyes and asking, “They do keep her, right?” I watched most of the movie with her, but never looking through the eyes of an adopted child until yesterday. She must have related to so much of the story. It broke my heart when the two women in the very beginning call Anne “trash”… good heavens. I didn’t even remember that part.
I understood a bit more now about how Anne wanted to be called Cordelia, hoping for a different life than the one she had been given that lead her to the depths of despair. Marilla’s line was superb, “To despair is to turn your back on God.” So true!
We’ve had two nights of reassuring talks that Nora is ours forever. That God never left her without someone to take care of her. That we prayed for her for four years before she was part of our family. That God chose her for us and us for her. I don’t think we can ever say those words enough. Ever.
Tags: adoption, adoptive mama, Anne, Anne of Green Gables, bonding, Colombian Adoption, God, love, Lucy Maud Montgomery, mama, mother, orphan, orphan child, reading, security
April 23, 2014 at 12:26 pm |
HI! We are hoping to adopt from Colombia and would be traveling late summer with my 2 bio children (20 and 17) and 1 adopted child (8)plus our new son (8). We will be staying in Cali and would love the name of the place you stayed. My email is cmlast@yahoo.com. thank you for your blog.
April 23, 2014 at 3:30 pm |
Hi Lynn! Congratulations! Such an exciting time in life! Here is a helpful link for you, if you haven’t already found it: http://wp.me/pbl3e-KJ. If you go backwards and forwards from that link, there are lots of blogs from Cali. And here is the link for the vacation villa we stayed in. http://www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Cali-Colombia-vacation-rental-villa-proID-38031.html It was wonderful! Jairo, the owner, was very friendly and helpful to us, even when the washing machine stopped working. He had it fixed the same day we called even though he lives in America. We would stay there again in a heartbeat!
April 23, 2014 at 4:47 pm
Looks great. Thank you so much–blessings!
June 24, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Hello– We got our official referral on Friday and hope to travel in August! Our agency wants the exact address of the villa. Do you still have it? I have emailed the owner, but you know how it is–others don’t share your same urgency at this point! Thanks! Lynn
June 25, 2014 at 11:07 am |
Jairo and Adriana’s phone number is 032-380-6484.
Cuidad Campestre el Castillo
Via Cali – Jumandi
Conjunto Herreria #1
Villa #70
Villa phone number 032-559-9209
June 25, 2014 at 11:11 am |
And CONGRATULATIONS! That is so exciting! :o)