Prior to my disability and me being a mom, I used to perform in local theater. One of those productions was “The Secret Garden” with Little Theater of Manchester, and it was such a fun show. A group of us were on and off stage together through the entire show. We were “The Dreamers” – BG, Dan, Robyn, myself and Rick. Even after the show ended, we – , “The Dreamers,” would get together a few times a year to celebrate and catch up. On one occasion, they decided to surprise me with my first baby shower! It was right after the referral became official and was so sweet and memorable.
They gave me such a variety of gifts – a lovely bedtime story book, baby towels, a teething ring and bib, tiny onesies, a cute little elephant and an amusing musical fish bowl. It was so much fun to imagine using these novel items, and playing with them with Alice. I hadn’t started any shopping or actual planning yet, so this little surprise celebration really helped to make it all feel real. I was going to be a mom, and my friends were giving me baby toys and supplies!
During this timeframe, I found out which part of Guatemala Alice’s birth mother was from – Quetzaltenango, more commonly called Xela. It is the second largest city in Guatemala, with a population of about 160,000 people, half of them indigenous. Xela is considered by many to be the cultural capital of Guatemala, for its many past and present artists and poets, and for its three universities.
It was interesting to imagine that Alice might be an artist, although my brother Paul envisioned her playing soccer. He even met us at the airport with a soccer ball, but that is a story for another day! All I kept thinking is that whatever she decides to do, I hope she grows up happy and has wonderful friends like “The Dreamers.”
Finding Abilities 