As we sit at Gate D1 in the Washington Dulles Airport, we begin to ponder the adjustments that are forthcoming. Adjusting to a different time zone (eight hours earlier in Russia), to the Russian culture, and of course a “slower” internet processing speed all adds interest to our journey. Considering the adjustments that we will have to make once Julianna is home with us is certainly another topic of discussion.
When Julianna is finally legally our daughter and on American soil, safe and sound (as much as you can be in our home), we envision that she will have culture shock. Will she be overwhelmed at first…sure. But the beauty of the human spirit is the ability to adjust to the environment and cultural surroundings. She’ll have to learn how and why we do certain rituals from going to school to attending church each week to going to the swim meets on Saturday mornings. We believe that Julianna will need mommy or daddy with her at first - maybe two weeks or maybe two months - until she begins to feel safe and understands her boundaries. We know that Julianna will have to learn the English language. Her siblings will certainly assist her. Kenny is optimistic and refuses to accept that she will have difficulty during this adjustment period…yeah, Kenny! Let’s all get on this train of thought! I, myself, have high expectations. While we acknowledge that Julianna’s adjustment to our family may be challenging at times, our positive outlook coupled with God’s grace and the support of friends and family will assist Julianna in using the skills of resiliency. The research literature clearly shows that children are much more resilient than adults.
So who has to adjust? What may seem like a major challenge for some, is but a mere change of scenary for others. Consider those who have chosen to be airplane pilots, they have trained themselves to adjust to the various time zones, where Kenny and I as novice international travels are trying to develop the skills necessary to avoid the jet-lag that we felt last trip. The bottom line is that when it comes to adjusting it’s really about perspective and what you choose to allow yourself to experience. We should all be so blessed to remain as children, having both faith and strong resiliency….which inevitably would help us to withstand even the slightest delay in internet signal!
When Julianna is finally legally our daughter and on American soil, safe and sound (as much as you can be in our home), we envision that she will have culture shock. Will she be overwhelmed at first…sure. But the beauty of the human spirit is the ability to adjust to the environment and cultural surroundings. She’ll have to learn how and why we do certain rituals from going to school to attending church each week to going to the swim meets on Saturday mornings. We believe that Julianna will need mommy or daddy with her at first - maybe two weeks or maybe two months - until she begins to feel safe and understands her boundaries. We know that Julianna will have to learn the English language. Her siblings will certainly assist her. Kenny is optimistic and refuses to accept that she will have difficulty during this adjustment period…yeah, Kenny! Let’s all get on this train of thought! I, myself, have high expectations. While we acknowledge that Julianna’s adjustment to our family may be challenging at times, our positive outlook coupled with God’s grace and the support of friends and family will assist Julianna in using the skills of resiliency. The research literature clearly shows that children are much more resilient than adults.
So who has to adjust? What may seem like a major challenge for some, is but a mere change of scenary for others. Consider those who have chosen to be airplane pilots, they have trained themselves to adjust to the various time zones, where Kenny and I as novice international travels are trying to develop the skills necessary to avoid the jet-lag that we felt last trip. The bottom line is that when it comes to adjusting it’s really about perspective and what you choose to allow yourself to experience. We should all be so blessed to remain as children, having both faith and strong resiliency….which inevitably would help us to withstand even the slightest delay in internet signal!