PMTvoice

I have to start this post by admitting that I’m having trouble concentrating at work a bit right now. You see, this weekend is a very special weekend for my family and I. I’m leaving work tomorrow at 11am, in order to start our celebration of “Gotcha Day”, which occurs for our family on December 19th of each year. What is “Gotcha Day” you may ask?  Well, allow me to share.

Gotcha Day (also known as Gotchya Day) is the day that a son or daughter is officially made to be a part of an adoptive family, legally speaking. December 19th, 2005, my wife and I adopted our son, Eban. He was a part of our family from 3 days old, when he was placed in our home for foster care. We are so incredibly blessed to have him as our son, and to have been thought worthy enough to be his parents.  About a month before his first birthday on December 19th, we had our adoption hearing, and adoption of him as our son was made legal.  It was such an awesome day!  When the judge pronounced the adoption finished, my wife and I swear we saw Eban’s mood change from rather flat, to extremely happy.  Our friends and family were there to celebrate with us.

Each year, Gotcha Day is celebrated with our son by giving him a gift, doing something fun with him, and a special meal.  If it’s during the work week, I take the day off.  Gotcha Day is HIS day…for my wife and I to let him know how special he is, and how happy we are that we are a family.  Will there be a day when he thinks more about his birth parents?  Yes…we’re sure there will be.  We will do our best to help him deal with those thoughts and emotions.  Some people criticize the term “Gotcha Day”, interpreting it as a selfish observance by the adoptive parents of the day they “got” their child. I couldn’t disagree with that more.  It’s a day for both parents, and child to celebrate that they were united as a family. The parents celebrate that they have been blessed with a child…yes.  But the child also celebrates that they were blessed with a family.  Both “parties” in fact, “got” something.

So Friday at 11am, I’m jetting out of work here (not that I don’t like working here mind you…I love it!), picking up my wife, swinging by Eban’s pre-school and picking him up, and then heading to lunch!  Eban loves El Zarape, a favorite local Mexican Restaurant. We’ll then head to a somewhat local indoor waterpark to play in and spend the night, and do more celebrating on Saturday, his actual “Gotcha Day.”

If you know of an adoptive family, try to find out their “Gotcha Day”, and let them know you’re thinking of them, and that you’re celebrating their family with them! If you are a soon to be adoptive family, know that we’re thinking of you here, and celebrating with you on your soon-to-come Gotcha Day!  A few of the designers here in our E-Commerce department have been thoughtful enough to come up with several Adoption Announcement cards that we hope to have on the site soon. Bookmark the page here, and let us celebrate with you!