To the Fringes: Learning What Love Looks Like

I know I just gave an adoption update yesterday, but I wanted to share this little joy.

First a little background…

We learned quickly that Lindi coped as a dizzy performer, a metaphor that Patty Cogen uses in her book Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child. She waved, she charmed in hopes to get 100% of our attention.

Jack (my four year old) is our little snuggle bug and he ADORES his mommy. Over the last couple of months each time I pulled Jack on my lap for a cuddle, Lindi would crawl as fast as her little legs would take her and want UP too. Then she’d proceed to head butt Jack, in a sense letting him know that he was not welcome. Funny and heartbreaking at the same time.

She’s still learning how this thing called love works. She’s learning that her mommy can love Jack and Lindi at the same time…it’s not a choice of one or the other.

And this beautiful thing happened today. Jack was cuddling on my lap. We were joking around and laughing. Lindi observed for a little while with a big smile on her face and then made the little noise she makes when she wants up.

And you know what…there was no head butting. Instead she crawled on top of Jack and gave him a big hug.

She’s learning what love looks like.