SERGEI DAY

Sergei's passport photo

It is truly difficult for me to believe that it was five years ago today that we adopted Sergei! It seems only yesterday that we began this "Russian adventure".

Another adoptive mom posted her journal entries from their adoption, in retrospect, and I found it interesting, so here is my journal entry for that day:

Today – Court Day.

Amazingly, I slept well. Craig had to wake me. I’d been very anxious before bed last night and had to bring out the rum which was helpful. I felt better, though still nervous. I certainly didn’t want breakfast this morning! We got ready and went downstairs, as directed, at 8:45. The court was actually walking distance – only a couple of blocks from the hotel. We were taken in the car, however. Galina [our beautiful, saintly translator] was with us, and the lawyer from the school and the Socialization Director. The judge was a plump lady of 45-50 with authority and also humor. There was an attractive secretary and a sharp-faced, humorless female prosecutor.

Craig was called to speak first and was obviously flustered to begin with, but he recovered nicely. The greatest problem was with my name.[I go by my middle and maiden name and this is unheard of in Russia!] I could honestly see why the judge might find our whole system irregular because I certainly feel the same way about how they will issue a new birth certificate for Sergei, with untrue information, saying we are his birth parents and that he was born in Ivanovo!

There were many interesting things about the court experience. It was rather fun to be able to understand most of what was said, since they weren’t expecting that and were probably a bit freer than they might be with Russians. I suppose there were two main things that stand out for me. The first was the wonderful way Galina stood up for me and actually stepped forward and argued vigorously with the judge about my name! I was so grateful to her! There was also an interesting interplay between the prosecutor and the judge. The prosecutor asked me very firmly if I was intending to “force” Sergei into a certain religion. I responded that, of course not, everyone must choose their own religion. (The right answer, apparently!) She let it go, but it was clear she was anti-religion. So it was all the more interesting, then, when after it was all through, the judge came up to us and asked God’s blessing on us in a very sincere way. She made it very clear that she was a believer.

One interesting thing I overheard, since it was just an aside between judge and prosecutor, and not translated, was the judge’s observation that Sergei’s birth parents were older than we were!

In any case we were given the right to be dear little Sergei’s parents. It was primarily just a great relief right then, but as the day has progressed I’ve felt more relaxed and surges of happiness keep washing over me.

Sergei is the best little boy anyone could have. I realize I don't write as much about him as I do about the ones who give me challenges. Sergei is kind, good-natured, helpful and loveable. He has a dear sense of humor and is a truly loving boy. We have been so blessed by him. He is very gifted as a mechanice and has a natural sense of how things are put together. He is very clever and can often "make things work" at the point when everyone else has tried and given up. He can draw meticulously.

He is strong and energetic, a wonderful swimmer and excellent soccer player. He played basketball this year, and I had to admire the effort he made to learn a totally American sport when he had little background. His effort paid off and he wasn't a bad player at all! His teammates respected his effort.

This day is a day to celebrate!

Dear Lord, thank you for our Sergei!