The older I get, the more I am awed by the significance of family. I will admit to being blessed by having a great family, one that is mutually supportive and laughs at its dysfunctionalities. Others may not be so lucky, but I can only write about what I am familiar with.

I am also blessed by being in a family that has had many adoptions. Watching my sister give the gift of family to eight foster children and orphans has not only been an inspiration, but also a witness to the power of family connections. Blood seems irrelevant.

And now I’m happy to share that it runs in the family. Doug and Cindy, my uncle and aunt, have recently adopted one of their Vietnamese “daughters,” though now I can remove the quotation marks. Here’s what Uncle Doug recently shared with me:

Of course, you know of Trang as “the daughter we never knew we needed.” Then along came Ai Nhan, and we had two daughters we never knew we needed.

Amazing blessings for a couple of old folks.

And – it is now official. Trang is legally our daughter. We would have adopted Ai Nhan as well, but she and her wonderful family are back in Vietnam now, and that’s a long trip to make for a fifteen minute court appearance.

A local television station covered the adoption. Thought you might like to see the story.

http://www.krgv.com/community/con-mi-gente/McAllen-Couple-Adopts-Adult-Daughter/31994748

A local newspaper also ran a story that talks more about their journey. http://www.progresstimes.net/news/local-news/7140-youngs-find-love-and-a-daughter-in-what-was-once-a-warzone.html

In the middle of the story is a section that reveals how adoptions run in my family:

Doug came up with the idea to formally adopt Phan and Ngo after a trip to Alabama in December to visit his sister. Her daughter lives across the street and came over to introduce her most recent adopted child, an 18-year-old girl from the Philippines. He’d never heard of adult adoptions, but most states allow it.

Yep, that’s my sister he’s talking about. So now I am blessed even more by the continued expansion of what I can call family. What a great gift. A new cousin! Thanks Uncle Doug and Aunt Cindy.

*You can find out more about Uncle Doug and his stories on his blog. It’s worth a visit!