A Letter to Levi's Birthmom

Today in the United States we celebrated Mother's Day. It is a day set aside to honor mothers and grandmothers and those who are like mothers to us. This was the first year that I got to celebrate being Levi's mom. All day, though, my thoughts were drawn to you. I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult it was for you to make the decision to allow your son to be adopted, especially knowing that he might be adopted from someone outside of Vietnam. My heart aches for you! But I want you to know that you have given me a wonderful gift this Mother's Day for he is an absolute joy! I love his smile that lights up a room and brightens my day when I pick him up after work. His giggle makes us giggle. His big brown eyes and long lashes melt my heart and have caused many people to "ooh" and "aah" over him. He is very curious and a fast learner I think. He catches on to many things that we show him on the first or second time. He started crawling the day we arrived home and soon after took his first steps. It won't be long and he will be all over the place walking. He is strong and healthy. I want you to know that I will not ever let him forget Vietnam or you, his birthmother. In your honor, we will be planting a tree or perennial each year on Mother's Day so that when he looks at them he will remember you and your sacrificial gift! And one day I hope to return with him to Vietnam so he will know the beautiful country where he was born and the gracious and kind people who live there.