"I wanna have friends that I can trust, that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was. I wanna have friends that will let me be all alone when being alone is all that I need. I wanna fit in to the perfect space, feel natural and safe in a volatile place."

- The Avett Brothers

Monday, August 8, 2011

I'm Calling it Right Now

On Friday night when my little family of four is dancing under the stars until we can dance no more to the sounds of Michael Franti, I just might have some big old tears rolling down my face.

If this song doesn't do it...


then this one probably will...



and if that one doesn't, then this one will for certain.

(sorry horrible video, but it had the best sound).


I have been listening to Michael Franti on and off since high school, but for some reason his message of hope really hit home when we began our journey to adopt Elsa and Ashagre.  Without any thought to it, Franti became the soundtrack to my days as we filled out paperwork, waited, and waited some more.  By November, when our court date was literally days away, just thinking of a lyric from a Franti song brought me to unstoppable messy tears.  When we returned home from the court trip and began the wait again, this time with the smell of the olive oil in Ashagre's hair and the glow of Elsa's smile clouding my perception, another adoptive momma, who is even a bigger Franti fan than I am, shared this with me (be warned - you'll need a box of tissue).  I had no idea that Michael Franti was adopted, but that night as I sat in our house alone (Brent was on a fishing trip) and messaged over FB with another momma longing for her boys over in Ethiopia, I knew, yet again, that Brent and I were moving in the right direction.  That we had put our energy out there to the world and the world was sending us reaffirming energy back. That Elsa and Ashagre were our kids and that there was more love in the world than one could think possible so long as I just had a little faith and opened myself up to it.

So I'm calling it - Tears - BIG ones, especially when Elsa joins me in signing nearly every single lyric we hear (the girl loves her some Franti).
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5 comments:

  1. WendyAugust 9, 2011 at 5:49 AM

    You know how to turn a grandparent into a blubbering mess. Thank you, Dakota. I love reading this blog.

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  2. martyAugust 9, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    thanks for the memories and the reminders of those early days and those conversations that helped me keep going. i think you forgot to post the adoption video of franti?

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  3. AnonymousAugust 10, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    So Elizabeth Bumpas Maher told me you are going to be in Sandpoint for the Franti concert. I am married to her cousin, would love to say hi and introduce myself. I will try and find you. It's a small venue, but there will be lots of people there.
    Mel Davis

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  4. dcoreyAugust 10, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    Mel - yes, please look for us. We'll be hanging out with another AAI adoptive family with two boys from Ethiopia that are the same age as our kiddos. I doubt there will be too many small packs of Ethiopian kids at the show, but, you're right, it will be busy. Hope to see you there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. rebekahNovember 16, 2011 at 3:09 PM

    Michael Franti was adopted? Awesome! We're big fans of The Sound of Sunshine in this house - it's one of those on the way to school songs:)

    ReplyDelete

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