i would venture to say that 'annie' was the first movie i ever saw in the theater....i'm guessing if you're my age that may be true for you too. to this day it is still one of my favorite movies, the 'let's go to the movies' scene being my all time favorite because who wouldn't want a bedroom like grace's to get ready in? however, the opening scene to the movie, when annie sings 'maybe' has become a bit more poignant for me lately.
i took piano for eleven years growing up (and yes, as my mom told me countless times that i would.....i do regret quitting....i was quite good if i may so humbly say) and i had an annie book of music. i loved playing the songs, loved it. at church camp one year my friend lisa and i acted out the song 'little girls' for the talent show....she sang, i played. side note....i always think it's so funny that we sang this at church camp as the lyrics include things like, "i'd like a man to nibble on my ear," and we were about ten when we did this.
anyway, i was at my mom's recently and started playing the piano. i dug out the old annie book and started playing some of my old favorites. i had forgotten about the song 'maybe.' it details annie's desire to know her parents because she's never known them or anything about them. as a result annie dreams that they are the most perfect people in the world; rich, young, beautiful, sophisticated, smart, loving, and of course constantly regretting their decision to give her up.......but never looking for her and instead letting her live in an orphanage with miss hannigan. hmmmmm, reminds me of a conversation we had in one of our adoption classes last november.
in one of our social workers attempts to convince me that an open adoption was the way to go they brought up the fact that when adopted kids don't know anything about their birth parents and never get to see them they either imagine the worst about them or glorify them to an unreasonable extent. i didn't want either, but at the time, i also didn't want an open adoption.
we all know the ending to that story. i love my birth parents and love seeing them and love seeing georgia with them. i've indicated that she will always know who they are and there will be no big secrets. there will be no opportunities for her to imagine that they were terrible people or that they live in some golden castle as opposed to the little ranch we live in and collect things "like ashtrays and art" (seriously annie?). the truth is what she'll know.
below is a picture of me that my mom took that day. georgia was climbing all over my lap, "helping" me turn the pages. i didn't know it then, as we often don't when an important picture is taken, but i will always cherish this picture. it reminds me of how amazing my daughter is, how much i want the best for, and how much i never want her to think those thoughts that annie thinks.....and how i want her to know that she is my baby......and she is home.
tomorrow, she is officially a terryn. maybe chris and i will do a fun little dance number like daddy warbucks and grace sang on the day "they got annie." we did get her a little tiffany necklace like daddy warbucks bought annie.....oh the parallels.....now i just need a huge mansion in new york city along the hudson.
but, it's funny.....how this favorite movie of mine as a child recently has come to mind over and over and makes me so thankful that we have been able to participate in this amazing journey of adoption. i wouldn't have chosen to have a child any other way. because then.....we wouldn't have ge
orgia.
