Emma Gabrielle- Happy Mother's Day!

by Annette DeWitt

I was given the opportunity to meet and spend some time with our new daughter's birth family. I anxiously accepted. So, as we were being discharged from the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), we were immediately ushered in to a nice family room style conference room, where there awaited our daughter's birth mother, her 9 yr old son, her mother & her grandmother, as well as our daughter's birthfather's mother and 2 brothers.
Not knowing what to expect of the day, I began praying early, "Jesus, please be with me." And He is ever faithful. As I stepped in to this meeting, all anxiety melted away and I was so graciously greeted with hugs and kisses from EVERYBODY! And I was so humbled as they loved on me and Emma, and said their Thank you's. And all the while I was screaming inside, "No, you don't understand...THANK YOU!"
They asked if they could hold her and have some pictures, of course I said yes, they even wanted pictures of me with the baby, they also asked if they could give her the gifts they brought, if I would allow her to have them. To that as well, of course, I said YES. Then the most precious moment of all. When I handed our new daughter to her birth mother, she held her, rocked her, stared into her sweet little face, and just cried silently. My words can not even do justice to express what those moments were like. How my heart soared and crashed with each breath I took.
Then, she wiped her tears, and smiled so sweetly and said, "it's time." She handed me our new daughter, we hugged each other, and exchanged "Happy Mother's Day." She then, looked into my eyes and said these very words..."I can't even imagine her not going home with you."
Words cannot fully express the priceless gifts that I've received this Mother's Day-the gift of a child & the gift of sharing all those precious moments, with those precious women, Emma's birth mom, her mom and grandma, and her birthfather's mom. I love them, for the strength I saw in them this week, I love them for the love they showed me, I love them for the love they have for Emma and choosing to give her life, because I can't imagine life now without her. I love them for the priceless gifts they've given me this Mother's Day.
Once, again, words cannot express how thankful we are for what CHASK does.