Some serious religion

For many families, including ours, the adoption trip can't be completed without a stop by the Six Banyan temple in Guangzhou to have the Buddhist Monks bless your child. The Six Banyan temple is quite beautiful, and rather grand for a temple in the middle of urban Guangzhou. It is named for the Banyan trees that adorn the grounds.

As most of you know, Kris and I are not particularly religious, but it is quite easy to become very religious when standing at the foot of a 30 foot tall Golden Buddha, smelling the incense that permeates the temple, and watching the locals come and pray. There is also a strong sense of duty that comes with taking a child away from his country of birth. We felt the same way with Libby who was similarly blessed at the Six Banyan Temple.

The pictures below show the monk giving us a blessing and anointing us with oil. Libby and I lit some incense (she REALLY enjoyed carrying the lighted incense to the large censer in front of the temple) and placed it in the pot. The Buddhists believe that the smoke carries your prayers to the god. I don't believe prayers are like birthday wishes, where they must remain secret to come true. I prayed for love and happiness for dear Owen and his big sister Libby. I prayed that in America they would blossom and reach their full potential. Heavy, I know, but Buddhist temples are like that.