It is a bit late to write New Year resolutions but this first post of the year has to be about a girl who took a strong resolution. A resolve to live. To live a good life.

She was abandoned at the age of 12 hours. Found on the side of the road wrapped in an old rag. Somebody picked her up and brought her to the closest and only police station of a small settlement in Western Ethiopia.

The police officer gave her a name followed by the place where she was found. He took a picture of the 12 hours old, skinny baby and brought her to the hospital. He drafted an advertisement that would be hung public in the hope that a relative would come and claim the baby. Nobody.

A team of nurses took care of her in the hospital until she was strong enough to be transferred to a local orphanage.

A team of nannies took care of her until she was strong enough to be transferred to the capital city where she would have more chances to be adopted.

She travelled with another little girl for 1.5 days in a 4×4 on dusty, potholled roads.

She arrived in an orphanage with her little companion in the capital city and stayed there until a SW took her in the transition home.

Her file was proposed to a couple living in Switzerland.

She became a daughter. The couple became parents.

A team of nannies and nurses took care of her until her parents would come and fetch her in the transition home. Her crib was next to her little companion’s.

She met her parents and moved again. This time in a Boeing for more than 12 hours. She was carried out of the Boeing and got little drops of water on her face and realized with a grimace that she never felt rain before and everything was new. Again.

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Many adoptive parents do not want to share their children’s story out of respect and privacy. Although I fully understand this, I do not feel like that. I feel so proud of my girl; she is such a brave little, spirited fighter. I hope her story inspires many to hang on, to believe, to overcome, to hope, to be strong and brave.

Many times, the world seems soo damaged that it gets discouraging to contribute, to make it a better place. You probably know that feeling: “what good would it do, if I do good, my small actions won’t even make the tiniest difference.” So, I strongly feel that her story inspires to do good. Starting from the birthmother who not only gave her life but also made the hard decision to give her a better life, followed by the person who picked her up and brought her to the police, the police officer, the countless nurses, every kiss, cuddle and bottle offered by a nanny, a document stamped by an officer, and everybody else offering their own small contribution, eventually created a chain, a chain so strong and reliable and so far-reaching that it would completely change the course of somebody’s life.

Whenever you get a chance, Go for it & do what feels right.

Thank you for this great life lesson, my girl !