Un mensaje para mi jefe

Hi Keith!

This is not a work message and I ask you please to read it when you will have 10 free minutes, with a coffee in your hands. This is the kind of conversation (sorry, in this case a monologue) that we should have in the kitchen.

Are you ready now? So… let’s go!

You know that I have 2 adopted children. The adoption process is very hard and difficult. You realize soon that only another family who is adopting (or has adopted) will help you with their hand in their heart. The rest is possible thinking in earning money. So sad! Poor families, they are so alone! So you meet as families as you can to find true information and help. With some of them you have a very special bond and they became somehow part of your family forever. Even when the adoption ends you still receive messages or calls from new ones asking for help. Of course, you help them unconditionally.

We believe that children must know their own story as soon as possible. It’s not a good idea to wait until they are 18 and say “Surprise, you were adopted!” As if you lied so many time about a so important fact… which other lies could you say? So, as soon children are able to understand you must start to speak about it. First think to have very clear in their mind is “Babies are born from mother’s tummy.” “Although you ARE my son/daughter, you weren’t in my tummy.” “You lived in a baby home for x time.” “Daddy and me desired with all our heart a child to love forever. Not any one, we wanted you!” “We discover you were living in a baby home and we travel abroad to meet you and bring you home.” “We love you and we will be together forever, as we are a true family.” When they are a bit older, you must also add: “You don’t need to come to Russia if you don’t want. But if you want to visit Russia, as you are Spanish, you will be a tourist. You will visit the country and then you must return home, as all tourists, with lots of photos and stories to tell to your friends.”

Experience says this first conversation with your children is very hard. Children know there is something different with them and they build a lot of crazy and sad stories about. (I know one girl that really though she was born from an egg as she wasn’t in her mum’s tummy! She felt very sad and scared to be like an alien!)

In my case, as Masha never wanted to hear about her adoption (as most of them, they have a sum of fear and sadness) it was great to start the walk with a very simple story, about animals.

Americans have lots of experience in adoption and have very good materials. I bough many years ago a lot of stories (thanks to Amazon!) to speak with Masha and not hurt her. It worked perfect. Masha was 3. (Today she’s 7, next month 8!)

I have a dearest friend, adoptive mother that lives far from me, who believe it’s time to speak with her son about adoption. But she found no interesting material in Spanish.

With no doubt, I looked for my old American books. My friend doesn’t feel very comfortable with an English text, so a translation was needed. But not only a translation. Americans are not Spanish and there are some cultural issues that need to be changed to really understand the message behind. And a step forward, I know that boy, I know that mother and I was very happy to give a magic special touch to the text, with tenderness, to really reach their hearts.

So I scanned the best one, translated, adapted the text, built a new pdf document and sent it to her. I am so happy to have the possibility to help her and be close to her in such an important moment! I keep my fingers crossed waiting her comments.

Yesterday night, when I was building the document I realized I was “localizating” the document. Yes, I was exactly doing the same that I do every day at work!!

I have a very good message and proposition, this message needs to be adapted to really reach my customer. My job is great because allows transmitting customers wellness, tenderness and help to build a better relationship. We are not only selling products, we are taking care of them. We are trying to make them feel they are, each one, special.

I felt great. I feel proud of myself, proud to belong to that great team. Somehow all makes sense to me. And that night I had very sweet dreams.

I only wanted to share that experience with you, as I felt you understood me. J (And yes, I attach my localizated tale!)

That’s all for this moment. As always, many thanks for your time, have a great week!

Elena

Marketing Executive, Spain and Portugal