This letter was written by Vince and I before we left India. It is meant to be a closure for this blog. There will be no more postings on Karmic Gift. I will however, due to lots of encouragement, be starting a new blog soon. Vince and I thank all of our readers and we hope you have enjoyed following us on this journey. Those wanting information on the surrogacy process are welcome to email us and we will assist where possible.
Dear Willow and Taylor,
You are the result of 20 years of love and commitment between your two Dad's. Two Dad's who met when they were both young and still deciding their own paths in life. After they met they knew that they both wanted a life with each other. They also knew that as much as their love was enough, their was always room for something a little more. A family of their own. They held onto this dream and investigated every possibility and opportunity with an innate passion. Eventually they found a way to create their own family and they pursued it with just as much passion and where successful in fulfilling that element of their lives that was missing. Your arrival filled that void and made them complete.
Both Dad's are lucky enough to have amazing families that have loved and supported them over the years. These are now your families, who at the moment are desperate to meet you and to smother you with love and joy. To accept you into their lives as grandchildren, nieces and cousins. They also have some amazing friends who too are waiting to meet you. All of these people will surround you and Shepard you through life, providing love, guidance and support.
An amazing gift was given to your Dad's by a lady that they have never met. It was her choice to anonymously provide us with hers eggs to allow us to conceive you. It was also the gift of another amazing lady to carry you and provide you with life. Neither of us have the words to express our thanks to these two amazing human beings. But we need you to know that we are forever grateful to them for the gift that they have given us, in you. There is no denying the commercial nature of your arrival into this world. Ours was a commercial arrangement and we will always acknowledge this. However we tried with all of our might to try and infuse some love and spirit into the whole process. We need you to know that the dollar value of this process will never and can never reflect your worth to us. You are our greatest treasure, our greatest act in life, our legacy.
We decided long ago that we would make a record of this journey and that we would always provide you with as much information as possible. We would not with hold any information and always provide the truth when asked. This blog goes a long way towards that. There are things that were not appropriate to share in a public forum and this information is always there for you should you wish. The blog is also to help others who are investigating surrogacy as a process of having a family of their own. It was also a means of sharing the journey with the family and friends we have spoken of. We hope is meets some of the needs you will have in regards to wanting to know where you came from. It was also meant to increase the understanding of others so that maybe, they could grow to be a little more tolerant.
You have a unique heritage, being born in the country many consider the cradle of civilisation and belonging to one of the world's youngest nations. Your ancestry can be traced back to the 1400's and much of it has been recorded thanks to industrious members of the family. We have decided to always acknowledge your Indian connection but will raise you as little Aussies and to the best of our abilities, as children of the Earth.
Ours is a family. Make no mistake about that. You are our daughters. We will love, nourish, protect and shelter you as you go through life. There are going to be times when our family is judged by others and you will be faced with the ignorance of others. At times they may seek to harm you out of their own beliefs or hatred. We can only offer you some advice. We have always lived by the belief that you should treat others as you would like others to treat you. Respect other differences and beliefs and do not judge. At the same time do not allow others beliefs to hinder or harm you. Stand up for yourself and when you need to, trust in the others who do love you. Turn to them for help. They will always be there. No matter what anyone else says we are family. People will come to know this as time goes by. There are so many other unique families out there and through our journey we have met some of them.
We know that our time with you is going to pass quicker each day as we watch you grow. It is only a matter of time before you fly and we just want you to know that we will never hold you down or hold you back. We will encourage you to spread your wings. To take on life's challenge and find who you are. Be who you need to be. We will always be there behind you, watching and loving.
It was always our intent to record this journey as a public and permanent record for you and others. However we also knew that once you were here and home with us that we would no longer continue to make entries. Your lives should be private and our journey as a family our own. It should be your choice on what you want to share with the world. Those around you who need too will be able to follow on as part of you lives. To all those who have followed this journey we offer them thanks on your behalf.
So we say goodbye to Karmic Gift, the story of your beginning and of the creation of our family.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand
Love, peace and best wishes to you both.
Dad and Papa.