Like the butterflies...

For those of you who sponsor Stephanie, you've already read this precious story written by her nannies. It's such a beautiful and touching retelling of a few moments during one day in September -- a story of the hope and the promise that a little eight year-old has, and it brought tears to our eyes. It will probably make you tear up too... you've been warned!

It is the ninth month since Stephanie joined our project. This month we set a new developmental goals for Stephanie, Our foster moms work very hard for each and every child, and so do all of the children. They put lots of effort into learning and doing things.

Stephanie is also making progress day by day. Stephanie is a very clever girl; she only took 2 sign language classes to learn a few new signs. She also can creep on the mat about 2 feet or so.

She is also very curious about new things. For example, one day I saw a beautiful butterfly on the window, so I caught it and showed it to three of the children. Kristiana only took a look but was afraid to hold it. Emerson is a big boy, but after a brief look, he went back and played with his favorite toy again, but Stephanie followed the butterfly wherever it went. She chased it by flipping and crawling.

With her eyes focused on that butterfly, she caught the butterfly with her little hands and as if to say to me: “Butterfly! I caught a butterfly. I caught it!” she laughed happily, I said to her, “Stephanie, gentle, gentle, catching a butterfly may kill it.” Stephanie heard that, and fearing to kill that butterfly, she carefully put the butterfly on the ground. That butterfly paused a bit and began to go. Stephanie happily pointed at the butterfly as if she was saying, "It is gone. It is alive. It's gone.” Then the butterfly flew near her, as if it was saying “thank you.”

When I think back to today, that butterfly is kind of strange. It didn't fly. It only moved its wings a couple of times, and walked slowly on the ground. Stephanie looked at that butterfly, and I told her, "Stephanie, lets free that butterfly shall we? Without flower, sun, and water, it won't survive; let’s set it free, yeah?" Stephanie nodded, and said “ok,” so I held up the butterfly and released my hand on the balcony, it flew away! How strange it flew away! I wish our Stephanie can swing her wings like the butterflies!

One day, dear Stephanie, we hope and pray that you too -- like the butterfly you so gently freed!-- will be free as well, to soar and fly and learn and live without so many limitations. We hope that one day you will have a family, a forever daddy and mommy, to love you extravagantly and to take care of you forever. 

I've watched you now a full half-hour;

Self-poised upon that yellow flower

And, little Butterfly!  Indeed

I know not if you sleep or feed.

How motionless! - not frozen seas

More motionless! and then

What joy awaits you, when the breeze

Hath found you out among the trees,

And calls you forth again!

~William Wordsworth, "To a Butterfly"