Guest Post: Lucky Mommy

When we were in Changsha seven-and-a-half years ago, our family did not blend in with others on those Chinese streets. We, along with the other couples who had traveled with us, were just a handful of Caucasian couples with Chinese babies, so lots of people approached us, curious to see our new daughters.
Many people came up to us on the streets, in the stores and in the restaurants to tell us, as our interpreter translated, “Lucky baby! Lucky baby!”
It was no secret that there was a large orphanage in that city of millions, as well as others in the outlying areas. It was no secret why we were there — to adopt our babies and create our families. Our interpreter explained to us that even though the Chinese government often would send mixed signals about letting foreigners adopt their Chinese girls, that the people who came up to us not only wanted to wish us well and were happy that our girls would have loving homes, but that they wanted something, too — to take some luck from the babies.
“They believe that touching babies is good luck,” he explained.
And touch they did, cooing about the beauty of our new daughters, commenting on whether we had dressed them appropriately for the weather and asking their Chinese names.
In the greater scheme of things, I know my daughter was a ‘lucky baby.’ I don’t like to think about what her life would have been if she ended up growing up in the “baby home,” as we call it. And obviously, we’ve been able to provide things, even little things, for her she never would have known in her life there — ice cream from the neighborhood Good Humor man, trips to the beach and the ice skating rink, shelves of books and toys, a room of her own.
But often, when I watch her running across the playground with abandon or squealing when her dad tickles her or when we are just snuggling on the couch together, I don’t think she is the lucky one.
Lucky Mommy, I think to myself. Lucky Mommy.

Joanne Bamberger writes about the intersection of politics and motherhood at her place, PunditMom