Article Contributed on: 4/3/2008 7:21:18 AM
Six years ago, my husband and I brought home our baby girl from China, who was one at the time. She was so tiny and scared, crying so hard as she was put in my arms for the first time. It was hard to see her little face through my own tears, but at one point she gave me a look that said, "I may be scared, but I am strong." From that moment on, I knew she would be okay.
We named her
Sayler, and learned she had been abandoned in a vegetable market in a small village at 2 days old, moved into two orphanages and two foster homes by the time she was one. The only things she had with her were the worn baby clothes on her back, and a used, faded toy given to her by her foster parents.
Her older sister instantly became a protective big sister. She showed her "the ropes", taught her all things girly and sisterly, and an unbreakable bond was formed.
Through the past several years we've watched Sayler try all things new, from making friends and playing music and of course, sports. What became surprisingly apparent was Sayler's biggest interest of all, Baseball!
Instead of watching cartoons, Sayler insists on watching a Rockies game with her Daddy. Instead of asking for dolls or clothes on her birthday, she asked for baseball cards to collect. I couldn't believe out of all things "American" we wanted our girls to try, Sayler fell in love with the Rockies and their game.
Last June we went to our first baseball game at Coors Field. As we walked into the stadium, I watched Sayler's face light up in awe and fascination. With her older sister's arm protectively around her, we showed them the shops and concession stands and different views onto the field.
Our seats were a bit far way from the field, but it didn't matter. My girls proudly stood with hands over hearts and sang our national anthem. They tried their first stadium hot dog, pointed sticky "cotton-candy" fingers at the scoreboard, and learned (amid many giggles) to yell, "hey batter-batter-batter!"
Since that day, Sayler wants to watch every Rockies game on TV, learning each player's name and number. She sits in her Daddy's lap, wearing her Rockies baseball hat, writing down "hits and runs" in a well-worn notebook with a smudgy pencil.
I remain in awe of where Sayler's been, to where she is now. From an orphanage far away, to our simple home. From caretakers and foster parents, into our loving family.
We would be thrilled to be able to take our family to another Rockies game, and include some of our friends who are important in Sayler's life. My older daughter would insist on sitting protectively next to her sister. Sayler would want to bring her smudgy pencil "stats" notebook, which for the time being is kept safely on her desk in her room, next to a used, faded toy from a far away place.