The email came in at precisely 2:03am. Why I checked my phone, I couldn’t tell you. But I was thrilled at what I saw. Amanda had seen some adoption photos I’d done recently of a little boy named Davis, and was coming to meet her own son Elias in a couple of weeks. She poured her heart out in that first email, telling me all about her son and the time they had been waiting. She asked if I would be available to cover their meeting time, and I was thrilled again to cover the making of another family in Seoul.
We met a little early, and were quickly informed by the Holt staff that due to renovations, we would need to move to another building for the meetings. We moved into a much smaller room, where we only had around 2 square-meters of space for ourselves. That wasn’t going to stop these loving parents, and active young man from having the time of their lives, though.
The first thing we discovered about Elias that day was his love for food and drink, and for sharing it with everyone around him. He would bring snacks to everyone in our circle, and even peeled a tangerine for his foster father. Although he loved his food, he would respect his foster mother’s words each and every time if she asked him not to touch it. The pinnacle of this was when his she granted him a bag of crisps. The happy dance that ensued was greeted with guffaws of laughter.
That was the next thing we discovered about Elias, he loves to dance. When the songs stopped, he would run over to the smart phone playing them, hit play again, and begin his routine. Everyone was filled with joy at his capers. He loved the attention and elicited it with skill from his parents Amanda and Reid, and everyone else around. When he discovered that notes were being made about him on a piece of paper, he found a pen and added his own. When he was caught, he handed the pen straight over and went on playing with his parents.
All too soon, the time was over. Elias obediently donned his jacket and scarf, and proceeded to call the elevator. That was it, he was on his way. Thank you again, Amanda and Reid, for allowing me to document your day. All the best with the lovely young man you have taken into your family.
