Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Tamale Party
Mid-January we went to the wonderful annual event in Palo Alto with almost a hundred families with kids from Guatemala. It was so cool to see all the beautiful families with kids of all ages. Lotus was recovering from a cold so we didn’t get to stay for all the festivities, but she got to see her friend Tessa and meet some other new friends. People came from all over Northern California for this once a year traditional Guatemalan Tamale party, but with a Nor-Cal twist (a vegan tamale option, thank god). We met familes from Eureka to Hollister, with kids ages fifteen to home for just a few weeks and even some families that are waiting for their children.
I know I have said this before but seeing so many kids born in a coutry so far away come together in essentially our backyard is really special. The Guatemalan Adoption community is amazing. I have learned so much from other families not only about raising an adopted child, but also about Guatemala. The community tries to maintain ties to our children’s homelands as much as possible. Many families volunteer or run organizations in Guatemala and keep the rest of us abrest on social and political events. These California events are not only fun for the families, but also helps educate us parents about Guaetmala and Guatemalan traditions.
It is a difficult time for adoptions from Guatemala and there is a lot of speculation that Guatemala may no longer allow transnational adoption. Though I certainly have heard of cases that seem shady and there is always room for reform it makes me so sad when I see all these children with their families and think that in the not so distant future many more Guatemalan children may languish indefinitely in orphanages. I know in my heart Lotus was meant to be with us and it would break my heart if in the future other families are not united because of political reasons.
