A Tight Grip
The other day I came across something I wrote after we adopted our second child. Both of them are now 40 but the memories are still clear as they adjusted to each other so long ago. One year has passed since we adopted our first child, 8 month old Laura, and now Chris at 23 months had become our son. Often as the children played outside I would watch them from the kitchen window. On this day I watched as Laura plopped herself on the push toy shaped like a horse. Rejecting the chance to ride on two other riding toys, Chris tried to dismount his new sister by crying loudly and pulling her arm. Suddenly without a fight she relinquished the horse push toy, Smiling broadly, he swaggered over to the toy and mounted. Immediately Laura picked up a volleyball from the pavement and began to play. Again Chris wailed, his arms stretched longingly towards Laura's ball. She as willingly as she gave up the horse toy handed over the ball. He clutched his latest toy while still ...