At least once a week,one of my family members,if not a few us,find ourselves scanning pages and pages,filled with precious faces.We oooo and ahhh and we dream.And we wonder.We fall in love.We contemplate the what if's and then we click off.Only to wander back the following week.We rejoice when we see that someone has found their forever family and our hearts are heavy when we learn that for many,that will just never come to be.We feel helpless and sometimes,we even feel hopeless,knowing that there are far to many children and just not enough families,to ensure a future for these innocent and beautiful children.
Who am I talking about?I am talking about the children of Reece's Rainbow.Reece's Rainbow is an international Down syndrome orphan ministry whose sole mission is to save,one child at a time, from a life sentence of abandonment and ultimately a cruel and inhuman, early death.Sound over dramatic?It's not.These children often come from countries where they are the throw away children.They are left at hospitals once a Down syndrome diagnosis is suspected,placed in orphanages for a short time and then transferred to institutions,where they are neglected and subjected to a way of life no person,let alone a child,should ever,ever have to endure.And,what I find even more heartbreaking, are the children who ARE wanted by their families but because of the prejudice and ignorance of their society,mommies and daddies are literally forced, to give them up.Could you ever,in your wildest dreams imagine giving birth to a child,loving them,wanting them and being unable to keep them?I am haunted by this story and by this face.A little girl named Anna.Loved by her mother.A mother who cannot take her home but must instead visit her on Sunday's.Anna still has not found a family.That breaks my heart.
And for every Anna,there is several hundred more.But along side those stories are stories of happy endings.Like sweet Arina.Who just came home and is now the newest member of our very good friends,the Rugg family.When I watched her coming home video,all I could think of,was that the Ruggs had just saved a life.How many of us can say we have done that?How many of us will ever get that chance.
Perhaps now is the time.Perhaps,someone out there that reads this blog,will be called to find a child,whose little tiny voice can only be heard by their very open and waiting heart.
*Please click on the Angel Tree link I have to the right.Donate to a child's fund or click on Sponsor a Family and meet some of the incredible families that have committed and are traveling and those who have brought their angels home.
*And for anyone wondering,I have fallen in love yet again.She is a beauty.I think I'll dream of her tonight
“When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and you are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.”~ Patrick Overton
15 comments:
Great post Heather. It just struck me...the Rugg's have 4 kids, 1 with extremely intense medical needs and they did it!!! They have completed the task. Why is it so hard for the rest of us to do but yet they did it!! Sounds like I will be doing some heavy duty thinking tonight and probably be feeling quite guilty!!
It's so hard for me not to go back again and again and again to RR and just stare at those beautiful children, and feel more and more guilty and sad when I leave. I just think of each one as if they might have been my own and it hurts. The greatest joy is when another one finds their family. I wish so badly I could do more but living where I do I can't adopt from RR so I try not to think of it too much. Donating is the only way I can help and I know sometimes it feels like just a drop in the ocean but I truely believe every penny adds up. I pray that by the end of this year more little ones find their Christmas gift of a family. Anna's story really touched me, isn't she a beauty.
Heather this is a post that weighs heavy on my mind lately. I don't think any of us have witnessed the Rugg's adventure and NOT been drawn to Reese's Rainbows pages. I know that I look at those adorable faces all the time and wonder and hope about their futures.
Arina is a LUCKY, lucky girl. :)
Incredible post. My selfishness isn't even letting me browse RR right now. Because then I feel the guilt - how can I sit by and not save one. I saw that baby Sophia C. has more money in her fund!! And that's the little difference I can make this week. A few dollars here and there. I hope to make a bigger difference someday :)
We were just taking about little Anna! Ray is saying he would go back! Seriously, he's already saying that, yeah, he's crazy!
There was another little girl there, didn't have DS, that her grandpa comes every day. He said he would keep in contact with the grandpa. I told him about Anna, and how her mom goes and takes her stuff. How I would love to send her pictures of her sweet girl from Disneyland, or surrounded by siblings!
I think of and dream of these angels all the time! Someday.....Big Hugs!!!
What a profound, well said post. I, too, feel what you are saying. I feel so passionately for these children. I can pray, donate and advocate, but I wonder if I can do more. My heart breaks for these children. I want for all of them to feel loved and wanted.
I want Catherine! If I can't have her then I will pray for her every day that a family might find her. I wish I were 10 years younger then there would be no question.
I go to RR too...I look and wonder and wish, I think if we only had the money...25k seems like a stretch...and then we both work full time (all the families I see adopt have at least one full time AT HOME parent) arghhhh, I found a little girl that will soon be transferred (if she hasn't already) a beautiful blonde (looks like my brother chris did at that age) her birthday is the same as mine...June 22nd...she is four
We would LOVE to adopt a RR child, but we do not make the minimum income requirement. I am a prayer warrior for a little boy named Arman.
All of these kids are on my heart constantly. I look at the site all the time and have started planting the seed with hubby. If I can get him on board, who knows....
I have been following your blog for some time, as well as the Rugg's journey toward adopting their beautiful baby Arina through RR. I am planning to do a post on RR on my own blog as well. Even though I don't have the means to adopt one of those precious children, I can do my part to help bring awareness to the opportunity to help give these children a forever family. Thanks for this blog entry!
OMGoodness! Heather, Anna is my screen saver. I love her. I've posted her pic and story on FB a few times. Please someone go get this beautiful child!!
You are so sweet!!
Everytime I go to Reese's Rainbows I tear up. Just breaks my heart. Wish I could adopt them all, kwim. Hugs.
I wish we had the financial means to do more, but this post is an important reminder that we can all probably make donations, however small, to help get some of these children into permanent families.
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