This morning I left the babies home with Nick since he was home for the holiday. I popped in my Kitchen Dance Party Mix on the Ipod. Of course I started out with "Under Pressure" and probably listened to it three times before moving on. I just kept running and running. The song would end and I still wasn't tired so I kept going straight ahead. I ran past this big cemetery and thought about how it was memorial day and how so many people were thinking and honoring their lost loved ones. I thought about how I don't really have family or close friends that have passed away. Then my Ipod kicked on to "Now We Are Free" remix and instantly I thought about Romania.
That song has always reminded me of Romania since I heard it the first time. It's from the Gladiator soundtrack at the very end of the movie where (sorry if this spoils things for you) Russel Crowe dies and is finally FREE from bondage and is reunited with his family. A few years back I got an e-mail from a friend about how one of the sweet little boys from the orphanage we worked at had passed away, and how even though she was sad he was gone, she was so happy that he was finally free! I remember reading that e-mail while listening to Gladiator at work and I started to cry. Then I got up in my office and danced and cried and laughed as I thought of this sweet little boy being able to finally dance and run and jump and leap into the arms of his Heavenly Father. Maybe this all sounds corny, but I can honestly say that it was a spiritual experience for me that day and it's stuck with me ever since.
So yeah, now that song is permanently ingrained in my mind as my ode to Romania song. So when it came on my Ipod as I passed that cemetery, I thought of all those sweet children who have passed through this life without the chance to feel free, and all those sweet children who probably will before they ever get the chance to really feel free. I thought of Neghi, and Adina and Bogdan. I thought of Nicoleta with the clubbed foot. I thought of all of them and I smiled and decided that today I was running for them. I was running for all those sweet children who will never get the chance to feel the wind and rain on their face as they run as fast as they can, feeling utterly free. I ran in memory of the children who have passed who now truly are free, and as I ran I didn't want to cry! I wanted to smile and laugh! I felt peace and joy and so much gratitude for the functional body that I have, and the love and security I've always had from my family. It was amazing and it kept me going further than I've ever gone in one stretch before.
I'm so thankful I was able to go to Romania. I'm so thankful for the love and support my romania girls all have shown me over the years. I'm thankful for family who supported me in making that trip and then listened to me talk about it for hours on end afterwards. I'm thankful for Nick, who knew I needed to go to Romania, and put off marrying me so I could do it. I'm thankful for my sweet romanian children that taught me so much four years ago, and the opportunity I had to love them like they truly were my own for a summer. I'm thankful for the sweet children the Lord has blessed me with now and joy they bring to my life. I'm thankful for so much...
That song has always reminded me of Romania since I heard it the first time. It's from the Gladiator soundtrack at the very end of the movie where (sorry if this spoils things for you) Russel Crowe dies and is finally FREE from bondage and is reunited with his family. A few years back I got an e-mail from a friend about how one of the sweet little boys from the orphanage we worked at had passed away, and how even though she was sad he was gone, she was so happy that he was finally free! I remember reading that e-mail while listening to Gladiator at work and I started to cry. Then I got up in my office and danced and cried and laughed as I thought of this sweet little boy being able to finally dance and run and jump and leap into the arms of his Heavenly Father. Maybe this all sounds corny, but I can honestly say that it was a spiritual experience for me that day and it's stuck with me ever since.
So yeah, now that song is permanently ingrained in my mind as my ode to Romania song. So when it came on my Ipod as I passed that cemetery, I thought of all those sweet children who have passed through this life without the chance to feel free, and all those sweet children who probably will before they ever get the chance to really feel free. I thought of Neghi, and Adina and Bogdan. I thought of Nicoleta with the clubbed foot. I thought of all of them and I smiled and decided that today I was running for them. I was running for all those sweet children who will never get the chance to feel the wind and rain on their face as they run as fast as they can, feeling utterly free. I ran in memory of the children who have passed who now truly are free, and as I ran I didn't want to cry! I wanted to smile and laugh! I felt peace and joy and so much gratitude for the functional body that I have, and the love and security I've always had from my family. It was amazing and it kept me going further than I've ever gone in one stretch before.
I'm so thankful I was able to go to Romania. I'm so thankful for the love and support my romania girls all have shown me over the years. I'm thankful for family who supported me in making that trip and then listened to me talk about it for hours on end afterwards. I'm thankful for Nick, who knew I needed to go to Romania, and put off marrying me so I could do it. I'm thankful for my sweet romanian children that taught me so much four years ago, and the opportunity I had to love them like they truly were my own for a summer. I'm thankful for the sweet children the Lord has blessed me with now and joy they bring to my life. I'm thankful for so much...
Bogdan, my sweet sweet little boy....
Adina in all her glory!
Iulian and his wonderful laugh.
Nicoletta, what a princess.
4 comments:
What a neat experience! Thanks for sharing!
What a beautiful post! I didn't know you had this incredible experience in Romania. I would love to hear more about it!
Great post! Thanks for sharing!
I realize this was written almost 2 years ago, but I was going back through your blog and remembering what the kids were like. This post was very sweet to read! Thank you, two years later... :)
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