Michelle Eisler and babyAt the end of January, my family of three celebrated our 5th Familyversary or what we call “Family Day.”

I was able to go through the photo album of the day we held our daughter for the first time and talk to her about it all. She was so excited to see the stuffed animal that she still has, and recognize the passage of time from the little baby in the picture to who she is now.

Our homecoming was one that came after many prayers and much support following the earthquake in Haiti. Each year, it is celebrated by many friends and loved ones.

This year, I received a message from Chantal, the lovely lady who volunteered her time to go on one of the Air Canada flights to bring approved children, in process of adoption, out of Haiti. She was handed Nathalia in Port Au Prince, and held and cared for her on the flight home to Ottawa.

We met her as she placed Nathalia into my arms; she told us about their flight while tears streamed down her cheeks. I remember the feelings and emotions I had as I listened, and how much kindness I felt from her. I knew that in that short period of time, our little girl had found a place in Chantal’s heart.

In the days following the earthquake, I had heavily relied on email and facebook to make people aware of where we were with trying to get her home. It took 16 days to get the news that Nathalia was going to come to Canada; we would be with her in less than two days time.

To share the cheers and tears of celebration with so many friends is something very difficult to put into words. It truly was a time of miracles, blessings, and a full understanding of just how many people had walked silently with us through those very dark days.

Now, I see it every year on our Family Day – how they remember it – and our new friends are moved to see the pictures of just how much went into bringing our daughter home.

Chantal asked how Nathalia’s arrival changed me. I now know that family comes from a heart connection, not a blood tie.

One of my biggest lessons was that I had to put my trust in people I had never met. I had to reach beyond my comfort zone to advocate for my daughter. The amount of people who stepped up to the plate to bring my family together was more than I could have imagined.

In truth, I have become tied to a country (and her people) I have yet to set foot in it. The love I have for Haiti is rooted so deep; the relationships formed with people I have never met, still moves me.

My daughter is Haitian, and her culture matters to me. I will do everything in my power to ensure she knows of Haiti’s beauty and value.

Chantal wrote to me that the impact of that day was far reaching, and spoke of how it made a permanent impression on her heart and life. She also spoke to how she sees Nathalia (’s story); how her life  captured the hearts of my friends who see my posts about our lives together as a family.

Recently, when my daughter turned four, she said, “I have but one little life, and it is about love.”

How can she be speaking that much truth, and yet be blissfully unaware?

Michelle Eisler and 5 yr old

I believe her life united many people – my family, friends, co-workers and people at the stores where I shopped. I met people after she was home who had said they prayed for us because they had seen or heard our story.

To me, love forms when someone carries your heart, protects it, loves it and recognizes its worth. They will walk with you through the changes in your life, some for a short while and others, for all your remaining days.

Love shows itself in so many ways beyond the obvious; it is so simple, and yet, we can miss it.

Other times, when we feel at our lowest, our hearts are open to see just how truly loved we are.