Happy Mother's Day

Well I've been thinking a lot about Lidya's first Mother and family this week and I decided I wanted to plant a little garden to remember them. So we went to Home depot and bought a small tree and a few flowering plants and then planted them in front of her playhouse. While we were planting I talked about her family in Ethiopia and how whenever we look out here we'll think about them. I don't know if she understands but I'm trying to talk about them more and more so that they will always be something that she knows about even if she doesn't understand just yet.
Then during our trip to the Zoo we discovered something we hadn't noticed before, an East African women's dwelling. Yes a round house made of mud and trees just like in Ethiopia. I can't believe that we never noticed it before. But we went inside and Lidya did not want to leave. She walked around and looked at all of the parts of the dwelling and maybe I was reading into it but it seemed like it was familiar to her. I wonder if she was born in a house like that? It's very likely that she was.
I went back because I wanted to take pictures so the pictures of her in the stroller are kind of an after thought and staged, because our first couple times in the house I was so engrossed in watching her move around and touch everything that I forgot about picture taking. The final time in the house I read to her all of plaques that explained what each part of the dwelling was and what it was used for, and she sat in my arms and listened to it all.
I know that people believe that Lidya coming to me and growing up here is the best thing in the world that could have happened to her. But sometimes I feel sad for the things she's lost. Her language and culture, her family and maybe a simpler way of life. I gained everything and she gained many things, but lost many others. I would never presume that the life she has with me is better, but I hope she will be happy and not too sad about her losses.