Special Random Act of Kindness...

When I picked Mia up from school yesterday, her teacher pulled me to the side and started talking. Honestly, because of the language barrier, it is really hard to carry conversations. I was quite concerned that something had happened that day, but what unraveled in the conversation filled my heart to the tippy top! Before I go on, I have to reiterate that Mia being adopted is never a conversation here. In almost 4 years of living here, I can count on one hand how many people have approached me. I know people wonder, but they just don't ask. I'm not quick to point it out (honestly, I forget most of the time that people probably think it is odd that Bryan and I have a Chinese Daughter). The teacher told me that she saw an friend at the Concert Hall last weekend. The friend was Chinese, and married to a German, living in a nearby village. She was talking about Chinese New Year. The teacher mentioned that she only has one Chinese Student (Mia), but she is more American than Chinese because she is adopted. The friend said, that in China you give gifts of money on Chinese New Year, but wanted to give Mia a special gift. She gave her an adorable Stuffed Animal Pencil Bag (Pencil Bags are quite big over here). Anyway, so the teacher had pulled me aside to make sure it was O.K. for her to pass on this gift from her friend - A total stranger offering such kindness. What a wonderful surprise and proud day for Mia (and Momma).
*update - so I called the super kind friend this morning, and it turns out that her husband used to live upstairs from a Hotel in Beijing. Often there would be adoptive families staying at the hotel that would be going to get their Children - she would see them leaving in the morning childless, and returning as a family that evening. As a Chinese woman, she said it brought her great happiness. She was nervous that our family might think it was odd for her to offer such a gift to a stranger, but nope, quite the opposite, we felt blessed beyond belief! We are now planning to get together for coffee - Sooo neat!!!!