Thank You Stranger

I don't know your name but you gave me the greatest gift a person could have. You gave your daughter life in a place where you couldn't be her mother for whatever reason there was.

You chose to let her live and I thank you for that. For having her and leaving her abandoned where she would be found. Some people have left their babies where they wouldn't, in fact couldn't, survive but you left your child where she would be found. Where she was taken to safety and placed with people who would take care of her.

I don't know what you faced but I believe your choices were made for your daughter's care. You live in a country where your choices are limited and your value, as well as the value of your child, are small. And you chose to let her live.

I thank you.

Yesterday our daughter came home, excited because she auditioned for high school jazz band and she made the A band. The better band. The one that will travel to other islands and have opportunities the B band won't. She worked hard to get into the A band. She'll learn to work hard to stay in that band and I'm so proud of her. You would be proud of her too.

She's beautiful. Her skin is soft and lovely, her eyes, nose and mouth are perfect. She has a small waist and a well shaped form. She is truly an attractive human being and I hope she looks like you. I hope those lips are yours, the long toes and straight hair are the same as what you have.

You are beautiful, and your daughter carries your beauty.

I know her in ways I wish you could. I wish you could see the compassion in her and experience her humor. Oh, she's funny. She can be so clever and has made jokes that have astounded me with their complexity.

She's great at math, can learn any instrument you put in front of her and she's showing an affinity for languages. None of those did she get from me so I assume your genes are showing in her. How you'd love her. I'll bet if you were here, you two would be nerds together and enjoy the same things. You would hear her, see her, as she learned about her interests and shared the excitement with you.

She's not perfect by any means but when I look at her, she seems perfect to me. I'm so proud of her and I love her more than I believed I could love another person. Just like you did. Like you probably still do.

Thank you for letting her live. Thank you for bringing her into the world.

Thank you.