We can be family and not look the same

The other night we were preparing to visit friends of ours that adopted from Ethiopia (a sibling set of four children that includes twins!)

As I was reviewing the names of their children with my 5-year old LeighAnna, she said that she remembered playing with the oldest (bio) daughter. I reminded LeighAnna that now there were two older girls to play with and that they were sisters even though they looked different... just like we look different as mother and daughter.

My daughter's absolute understanding of this was made known in her following statement:

"Oh Mom, I know we can be family and not look the same. Lydia and I are sisters and we don't look anything alike... because she has short hair and I have long hair!"

There isn't a strand of DNA among us that is the same.

We are four completely different individuals, but we are one family.

This is marriage.

This is adoption.