A Poem For Esther...My Darling Etsi Grace

So I just got the gift in the mail I had ordered for Esther (Etsi) and it is a poem with her middle name, Grace, printed in the background. I saw it online and the poem is so perfect. When I saw it had her middle name, I had to get it for her. I was reading it to Clint yesterday and I became overwhelmed with heartache for my girl's birthmother and started to bawl like a little baby thinking about everything this dear mother would be missing. I also thought about their father who is giving us the greatest honor to provide a better life for his daughters but how difficult it must be for him to let his little babies go. We have been blessed with the greatest job on earth to be the parents of these adorable little girls and we will never take that honor for granted. I wanted to share the poem with you all because I love it so much, so here it is.

Once there were two women,
who barely knew each other.
One is in your heart forever,
the other you call mother.

Two different lives,
shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star,
the other became your sun.

The first gave you life,
and the second taught you how to live it.
The first gave you the need for love,
and the second was there to give it.

One gave you nationality,
the other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent,
the other gave you an aim.

One gave you emotions,
the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile,
the other dried your tears.

One gave you a family,
it was what God intended her to do.
The other prayed for a child,
and God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me through your tears,
the age old question through the years.
Heredity or environment...
Which are you a product of?
Neither, my darling...neither,
just two different kinds of love.