Arden and I are famous! OK, not quite famous, but we felt like it when we opened our mailbox the other day and found a WONDERFUL early Christmas present from Carol Peacock--author of Red Thread Sisters. She sent Arden and me an autographed copy of her new book. We are mentioned in the back and we are both so honored.
I don't remember how I first met Carol online. All I remember is over a span of a couple years answering lots and lots of questions for Carol. The reason, Carol was writing a fictional book about an older Chinese orphan girl. Arden was adopted at age 11--just about 3 months before her 12th birthday. That, along with the fact that Arden is smart, mature and honest, made her the perfect girl for Carol to ask questions about being raised much of her life in a Chinese orphanage.
The book kept me quickly turning pages, worried that the character Wen would not find her forever home. I've known too many orphans just like the character Wen--and I found myself rooting for Wen like I root for them.
Arden is and always has been the kind of kid that does not like to talk about her life before. She is a private person. I felt, though, Carol's book gave me a chance to dig out of Arden some of her feelings, thoughts and memories. Not only did it give me a chance to really get to know my daughter better, but I believe it was therapy for Arden. I wanted her to know that it was OK to say these things out loud and not only should she not be ashamed, but very, very proud that she survived. Arden went to the orphanage as a baby and knows what it feels like to never have enough food in your stomach. She knows how to fear the cold, because of not having heat or warm clothes. She also knows to fear the unknown when you have no family for protection. You would think living through all that she would have become a less than desirable person. Not Arden. She was still a very good student, and still an honest kid who, to this day, I have never caught in a lie. Even today she'll sometimes tick me off when I ask her if she'll answer a question and she'll answer she can't promise me that she will. My funniest memory of Arden was right after we got her and she had learned a little English. I explained to her the 10 Commandments. We got to #7 Thou shalt not Steal. I asked her if she had ever stolen. In broken English she told me she once took another orphan's brush. Keep in mind those kind of necessities are very, very hard to come by for orphans. Then, she said, "I ask her first." I told her well then, you didn't steal it. She quickly added, "She say no."
One time when I was talking to Arden about her past, she asked me, "Wonder why I was still a good kid in China?" I'm not sure what makes us turn bad or good, but I do know I have a lot of kids that came from horrific pasts, but have remained wonderful kids and I know with God's help will turn into wonderful adults. Arden is one of them.
I'm praying that Arden someday uses her story as a testimony for what God has done for her. And, someday soon I would like to tell how Arden's miracle unfolded and how God changed her fate forever!
