Terminating Adoption: Visual Memory 2

It took a couple of years but I finished ESL and by the Third Grade I went from Flunking out of First and Second Grade to be a B Student by my Third Grade Class. I came here with No understanding of English. I did not speak English, did not think in English, and therefore, went to school everyday feeling disconnected and alone. I mainly watched other children and did a lot of listening. But it did not take long for me to put to practice my 'Broken' English and meet some friends in my First Year...I have one friend that is still in my life today. She was my First friend back in my First Year of school. I have to tell this story here.

In my first year, a little girl with blonde curls came up to me and asked to be my friend. I shook my head to tell her that I did not understand. She did not mind. She took her hand and placed it on me and repeated this, " You be my friend and I will be your friend. Our moms will meet and I will go to your house and you come over my house." It went something like that. Later that day, her mother called my mother to see who this new girl was in her daughter's class. My mother explained to her that I did not speak English and that maybe it would be awkward. My friend's mother had no problems with this barrier and told my mother that we were kids and it would be fine. After that call, we were best of friends in grade school.

These letters are from the President of Eastern Child Welfare Society,Inc. I received these letters in my first two years after Adoption. I used to read these letters repeatedly and was very excited to receive them each year. I remember asking my mother why they had stopped sending them after the first two had arrived. So I do not forget, my mother told me to write down any of the names of my family I remembered so that I would have them later. I wrote them on these cards and at night in my Diary that I kept in my room. I smile now looking at them because I had spelled them incorrectly. I smile also because I remember trying to sound them out as they were spelled.