Send A Letter, Maria

Well, the title really should be, "Send A Letter To Maria," since that's what we did this week. Maria who, you ask? Maria Shriver, of course. Since my new daughter knows her, after all.

That's right, my new daughter, waiting for us in Shanghai, has met Maria Shriver. And here's the photographic proof:

This picture was taken on November 17, 2005 (the same day we sent our dossier to China for Ruby's adoption... How's that for a God-moment?) This photo ran in the San Francisco Chronicle, and then was picked up by other newspapers and websites around the country. The caption identifies her as "eight-year-old Lin Guo Chu, who is waiting to be adopted."

Did she understand that she was sitting on the lap of an American celebrity when this picture was taken? Did she know that her picture would be seen all over the country? Did she expect to be adopted soon after this picture was taken? How many times in the last 4 1/2 years has she wondered, where is my family? Why haven't they come yet?

We're sending her another care package this week. We sent her one back when we got our LOA, but this time we're putting a package together ourselves. She'll be getting a map of the U.S. and a Chinese/English dictionary, a Michigan travel guide (no, she won't be able to read it, but we picked one specifically for the pictures) and a T-shirt that says Michigan. Okay, technically it's a U of M t-shirt, but don't tell my Dad. This is Spartan country!