Aug

Become Mommy

Posted by NicoleS Published in Entries

I am just a small town girl, that has has not traveled much beyond the confines of the small town of where I grew up in Central Minnesota. Yes, a few trips to the West Coast, the Desert Southwest, the East Coast, and Mexico, but never in a million years did I know that my trip, my vacation, that would change my life forever, would be to another small town in Latin America, the country of Guatemala, in the city of Solola, that I would “Become Mommy” to a special child named Julio.

Yes, back in January 2006 I traveled with my loving husband, my caring mother, and a few things in a suitcase to Solola, Guatemala to meet my then 6 month old son. It was and still is one of the most memorable days of my life. We left Guatemala City with a driver named Freddie. We headed for the majestic mountains, the jungles, and the ragged, jagged roads, in a rusty blue mini van.

Freddie assured us that we would not be stopped by the “gorilla” warfare that was raging up in the highlands. I didn’t care about the danger, the rusty car, or any of that. My thoughts, my actions, were all aimed for Julio. We crept through the beautiful countryside, saw the natives carrying their lively-hoods upon their heads. As they carried their weight, we carried ours up, up, up the mountain.

Four hours later we came upon a resort, a refuge, a home away from home called “Eagle’s Nest”. There, my son stayed safe and warm til the day, that very day, January 4, 2006 I became Julio’s Mommy. I will never forget the love that surrounded Eagle’s Nest and my “Little Julio”. No one could speak English, but we all could communicate as Julio was meant to be our son.

The humble caregivers brought Julio to me. No words were needed I knew then, and forever, that my life had changed, for the better, for the unknown, for the unexplainable, for destiny, that Julio was my son and I was his Mommy. Tears rolled down everyones face. We all loved him even before we met him. That day, that very day, I traveled to “Become Mommy”, the day I traveld oustide the confines of the smalltown where I grew up, changed my life forever.