Hello and Goodbye

What a day! We just finished a whirlwind tour-in-an-evening of Hong Kong. Friend Phemie's sister Shelley and family were more than generous hosts, whisking us through the antique district, then to a tram (the oldest and cheapest transit in HK) for a brief ride, then to a fabulous restaurant where we feasted like we were hip and famous, showering us with precious gifts for YoYo, then across the stunning harbour on a ferry.

Of course, the evening could only start after we'd checked in to our hotel, tired from our high-speed train (think 160 mph) from Guangzhou to HK. Our agency had booked the hotel for us incorrectly (surprise!), so we had to pay $ 100 USD for a rollaway bed for tonight. It was the day's only flaw.

We began the morning at White Swan Hotel with breakfast (like good little parents), and of course we ran into Tam., one of our new friends through Tian Yo, whom we first met in Beijing. She was in Guangzhou for a shopping trip, staying at White Swan - don't try to calculate the odds. We had a great chat, and she snagged a few more pictures of us with YoYo before we left.

How did we meet her, you might ask? I can only say so many times that YoYo's story crosses borders and reaches far. BlueSky is supported richly by many volunteers, whose families live in the expatriate area of Beijing. Many of these folks took part specifically and deeply in YoYo's story. The day before we left BlueSky, they hosted a party for us, sans YoYo, to send us off with all their hope - it was incredible.

The guests had ridiculous stories. One woman had solicited help from United Airlines for Tian Yo's passage to the States last year for surgery. Two guests representing United had given her not one but two free flights to the States, one for YoYo and one for his ayi - they presented us with a beautiful model 747. The co-founder of our adoption agency was there, unaware of our struggles Stateside, only deeply happy for our son, passionate for the sake of China's children-she is even now in the earthquake's epicenter, sleeping in refugee tents as she tries to secure the future of as many newly orphaned little ones as possible - she presented us with very special chopsticks with jade rests in a pretty case. There was a woman from Great Britain who had taken part in a group run across a portion of the Great Wall to raise funds for YoYo's hospital stay in the States. There was the woman who hopes to adopt YoYo's best friend - she actually hosted the fete, and her chef (on loan from the Consulate--you heard me) prepared fajitas and salad and Coronas and salsa. There was no end to the people, and my memory could not hold them all. Some had created an elaborate and beautiful scrapbook for us of YoYo's life thus far.

We met Tam. at the party, and she sat with us and filled us in on so many of the others and their ties to our little prince. And of course, to see her this morning, just a few hours before our checkout at Guangzhou and the beginning of our journey home, brought our time here full circle. How gracious a time this has been, despite the viral outbreak and the strain of travel and natural disaster and oh so many agency gaffes. I feel as though I am in a tree which is coming to fruition, and it only gets fuller and fuller and riper and fuller - there is no end to its season, but only a richness of being. As I drift towards sleep these few hours before our flight home, I know that the awareness of this richness is a gift, and I can only hope to be awake to it and ready for it even when I am impatient and he is grumpy or is having a tantrum or I am tired. Can I receive it ever? It is at hand.

Tomorrow, it's off to the States! Yahoo!