As Mason's English gets better and better he shares more stories and snippets from his life in China. I'm not kidding when I say this kid has got stories. They are so out there at times that I really don't know that he could make them up. Just like Jamal, Mason's life experiences are sad, inspiring and some of his stories are just down right hilarious. Mostly though, they're sad. It sounds as if our boy was in charge of himself for quite sometime and never really had a parent around to help him, guide him or love him.
I am very aware that much of what Mason shares with us may not be true but if even half of what he tells us is true, God has had his hand our boy.
The saddest part for me as his Mama is to hear that going to the orphanage was not a bad thing to him. He had food, adults to take care of him and no one hurt him. An orphanage was better than his own family?? That is heartbreaking. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that he has no bad memories of his SWI but my heart breaks that cannot be said of his parents.
From the moment we got Mason's referral we prayed every single day that God would protect him. That God would prepare his heart for coming to America and for having a family. Everything we prayed for we got. His heart and mind were very prepared and he has bonded to Dan and I quicker than our other three children. I know without a doubt he loves us. The other night when we were saying our bedtime prayers I prayed that God would help me to be a good mom. As soon as the prayers were over he told me, "Mama, you are good Mama. Don't say your bad."
Life with Mason has been a major adjustment for Dan and I. I'm still finding it hard to get use to his loudness, the ongoing correction for table manners and his lack of personal space. He is Mr Personality and that's not just coming from me. His teachers have commented on how not shy is he. Mason was so outgoing on his first day of ESL class, his teacher said that Mason on his first day is where he hopes to have most of his ESL students in four or five months.
I'm still on guard for the day our son may grieve over leaving China or for what happened to him and his family but just as we did before we got him, we pray every single day for God's protection on him.
