Just a piece of paper

It's an important piece of paper. It will get our new kids on the family insurance. It will get them social security numbers and passports. This important piece of paper makes David & me responsible for them. But the adoption decree is just a piece of paper. It does not make us a family. Our new daughter announced two days before leaving her country of birth that she would not leave. She changed her mind. She did not want to have brothers that teased her, constantly talked about cars, and made disgusting body noises. Brothers were disrupting her life and she was done. Several of our friends, who are now young women, have assured me that they now realize that growing up in a house full of boys was vital in who they have become as women. It challenged them and they grew from it. When our communication is better I will tell our daughter of how important my brother is in my life. I will tell her that, with David and the kids by my side, when we arrived home at the airport it was seeing my brother that meant the most. It was his welcoming arms that I clung to. Yes we spent many days as kids fighting with each other, being annoyed with each other and we don't agree on many things now. But, he is my brother and I cherish him. Some day our daughter too will cherish that special relationship with her new brothers. Some day that piece of paper will be a treasure to her in many ways.