Thriving on Love

"All the children who are held and loved will know how to love others.  Spread these virtues in the world.  Nothing more needs to be done."

- Ming Zi, Chinese philosopher, circa 300 B.C.

 

The subject of attachment is very dear to our hearts in the adoption community.  Forming a bond with trusted adults is a necessary developmental milestone for young children, yet those raised in orphanages have fewer opportunities to form healthy attachments.  If caregivers are overburdened by the number of kids they have to take care of or don't stick around for long, children don't have the opportunity to learn to love and trust. 

So that's why I feel so sad when I wonder whether our children are experiencing attention, physical affection and love while we are not with them.  And then I was relieved and feeling so fortunate when I learned that our children are benefiting from the work of two amazing organizations: Love Without Boundaries and Half the Sky. They do more than provide medical care and basic necessities for orphans in China - all so greatly needed - but their goal is to make sure each child in their care is loved. Because that's how children truly thrive.  One organization sponsored not only a surgery for our son, but also his foster family, where I hope he continues to live until we are permitted to travel to him.  The other organization has been providing training to the nannies in our daughter's orphanage, where the children receive loving, family-like care.  Although she was recently placed with a host family, she still participates in programs with her peers at the orphanage.