“What are you thankful for?” This question makes up the lyrics of a delightful song my children love to sing. On the day we returned to Kenya, the melody as well as the question would not leave my head. We sang it as we finished packing and drove away from a home that welcomed us for 477 days. As we passed UCLA and waved, we were overwhelmed with gratitude for the slow healing that has happened. We boarded a plane in Paris heading to Nairobi, and Ella began to sing: “What are you thankful for?” At the end of a 43 hour journey that us led to the rolling green hills of a village we call home, we were welcomed with extravagant celebration.

What are you thankful for?

We stood huddled at the security gate of LAX to say one final good-bye to friends who have journeyed every step of this bumpy transplant road. It was time for our paths to diverge. Tears flooded our faces. The words which welled up from my soul: “This is what love looks like.” So many sacrifices made for the sake of two little boys. Time, energy, interruption. While it is true that none of us knew what we were saying yes to 477 days ago, we believed Ryan and Geoffrey were worth it. Oh, how we were right.

What are you thankful for?

As I sat in seat 18C on a flight to Paris, I was surrounded by our little tribe. Ryan was restless from the long flight, and I leaned over to Titus to say: “it’s everything we hoped for.” All 6 of us getting to go home.

What are you thankful for? The answer is so very much.