China 33 - One in a Million

By Barbara I.

This is not just another story about a special travel group, this is a story about a special family...the China 33 Family.

In December of 1996, this travel group of 21 families started out like all the others...we'll travel to China with this group of people to receive our most precious gifts in the world and that's it! Get close to these people...NO WAY! When we come home we'll say our good lucks and good-byes, go our separate ways and get on with our new lives as parents. But something incredibly magical happened! Not only did each of us celebrate the most amazing event in our lives but we also became part of one big extraordinary family, connected by a remarkably strong and loving bond. I don't know the exact moment we realized this was more than a travel group. It developed over time, from the second we boarded the plane for China right until this very moment and continues with every future moment that comes.

Being in a foreign country and becoming first time parents with no experience, was an overwhelming, frightening and joyful adventure. Watching each other go through the trials and tribulations and immense jubilation of becoming a family and sharing this journey with each other led to a special bond that will last forever. Only these people know what it felt like the first time we saw and held our children. They witnessed and experienced the enormous joyful emotion we felt when we saw our babies thrive and smile and laugh and bond with us to become a family. We've seen each other at our very worst moments...no sleep, no food, wearing formula stained clothes for days, trying to console a crying child...to our very best moments...deeply loving, caring for, protecting, happily playing with our greatest gifts in life...our children.

When this incredible journey was through we didn't want to say goodbye and go our separate ways...we wanted our astonishing experience and journey to continue...we wanted to be a family! And so the story continues.

Since that time we've had numerous dinner reunions, family picnics, trips to the zoo & waterslide parks, play dates & get-togethers, weekend reunions at a Dude Ranch, summer vacations, mothers' nights out and this past March we attended our 8th reunion weekend at the Sea Crest Resort in Falmouth, MA. Twenty of our twenty-one families joined together to have an unbelievably awesome weekend. To have this many families in attendance is an amazing feat after all these years. The weekend was jam-packed with tons of fun-filled and exciting activities and events, which included: a culture workshop for the children hosted by Ling Tang, swimming, pizza party, Chinese food party, goody bags, juggling show, banquet room dinner, breakfast brunch, and an enormous amount of playing, laughing, reminiscing, talking, sharing, hugging, loving and just hanging out in our own Hospitality Room. The only complaint that was heard all weekend was...time goes by too fast...we need more than a weekend...we don't want to go home!

The highlight of the weekend was having a professional photograph taken of our children...32 of them. Yes, our China 33 family has grown since 1996 with the addition of 12 siblings who have all been welcomed with open arms and lots and lots of love.

Several years ago at a WHFC event we saw another group that was wearing shirts embroidered with their group number and the Chinese symbol for "Love". We liked the idea so much, we used it and now we have our own shirts embroidered with China 33 and the Chinese symbol for "Family". The embroidering has expanded to include sweatshirts, hats, tote bags, jackets, backpacks...you name it, we'll embroider it!

Because of the special bond our China 33 family has, Stan Munslow (one of our dads who is a great musician) composed a song especially for our family, entitled "One in A Million". The melody is so beautiful and the lyrics are extremely heartwarming. The song represents the journey we've made and are still making as our family continues to thrive.

As a family, we are planning a reunion trip to China in 2007. Not only will we be able to show our children their wonderful culture and beautiful birth country first hand, but they will also be able to experience the amazing journey we took that created the China 33 family we are today.

There is great comfort knowing that we are always there for each other, sharing both the problems and pleasures of being a parent. To be able to help each other with child rearing issues, especially ones related to adoption, and to assist one another with each child's new developmental stage is the most valuable resource we will ever have.

To see our children grow and make everlasting friendships and bonds with each other is a beautiful sight and is something that will be cherished forever. They will be able to help each other with any issues and concerns they encounter related to adolescence, adoption, racism or whatever else they are faced with. To know they will always have each other and this special bond is so extremely comforting and reassuring to our China 33 family.

Although our family comes from many different backgrounds with different beliefs, the connection we share and the ties we have will keep our China 33 family together for a lifetime! We feel so incredibly blessed because not only were individual families created in December of 1996, but also one amazing family was born in the process...the China 33 family. Just like our very own song says...China 33 is "One in A Million" and we are so fortunate to be a part of it.

Top