...We are sending you this red balloon.

That's just one of the things Lachlan said in her goodbye letter. I thought about taking some pictures of the sweet notes they wrote, but it felt like a violation. It's been a month. Most of it a blur, but also some great reflection on what is most important.

We decided as a family that it was time for us to say goodbye to Greta. I've been thinking about doing something tangible for weeks, but I just couldn't bring myself to work through the process. It's hard to be a parent and try to reconcile your own feelings without neglecting what needs to happen for your children to be at peace. The kids keep asking when we are going to go back to China to check on Greta--to make sure that she is alright. It will be years before they really realize that there aren't any easy answers, or maybe even an answer at all to their concerns.

We each wrote a goodbye letter to Greta and tied it to a red balloon. Lachlan says that it is Greta's favorite color. The color of China. The color of the red thread. To which Jack replied, "the thread that connects our hearts." As we were watching the balloons fade into the East, Lachlan said softly, "these balloons will fly over the mountains straight to her and she will know that we love her."