hope

Yesterday I returned home from my summer vacation, a cruise on the Holland America Veendam from Manhattan to Bermuda, which is one of my favourite places on the planet.  We sailed out of Manhattan on a perfect Sunday evening, and had an amazing view of the new World Trade Center under construction (black scaffolding around the top), as well as Lady Liberty:

When I think about New York City, images of September 11, 2001, automatically come to mind.  This was my first time being in the city since before 9/11, and I was really moved to see this incredible tower rising high above the skyline.  From the ashes of unfathomable tragedy, this phoenix is rising more than a decade later.  And if something that difficult is possible in the world, it must also be possible that out of my own personal tragedy of having my family taken from me, I will triumph.  I just cannot give up, no matter how long it's been and how hard it is to keep fighting the dark side.

I am happy to be able to report a bit of news from the light side: I returned home to read a post from another Canadian blogger, who wrote that her agency, Formons une famille in Quebec, got its first referral from Vietnam's new program for a child in HCMC.  After years of no news or bad news, good things are actually happening.  They started in Denmark, and they're on their way here.  They are going to keep happening and my agency will get a referral, my dossier will be sent to a province, my girl will be referred to me, I will bring her home, and we will live the life of our dreams together.  This is just how it has to go. Because we've both been through enough, and now it's time for what is good and right.  It's time for love, and not just for us, but for many other children in Vietnam who need it, and for their families who keep dreaming that it's possible.