Thursday, April 22, 2010

Passports: Tickets to Freedom

[This entry was written by Suzi, who finally decided that she needed to contribute something to the blog.  It was written this morning while explaining to Cooper that 5 a.m. is just way too early to get up.]

One of my parents’ unspoken rules was that my sister and I had a passport, and that we never let it expire.  To them, a passport was a precious, precious commodity…one that was not easily accessible in the Communist land they had lived in.  It was a sign of freedom and a ticket to see the world.
Yesterday, Scott, Cooper and I packed up and headed to the American Embassy to file paperwork to get Cooper’s passport.  We passed through one security area and entered a holding area before another checkpoint we would need to get through.  At 9:30 a.m. there was already a nice size line forming, so we joined the queue and waited.  We had to stand outside, but it was a lovely day, and I was thankful to be in the fresh air and have the chance to practice being out and about with our new addition.
I noticed a security guard in the building kept looking out the window…right at me.  The line was inching forward and suddenly the door opened, and the guard stepped out.  He motioned to me and said to everyone, “We need the baby.”  What?  Clearly he meant me; no one else had a baby.  We figured out that he was calling us to the front of the line so we didn’t have to wait “in the elements.”  I felt a little sheepish walking past all those people, but I also couldn’t help thinking, “I love this baby thing!”  It helps to be in a country where everybody loves a baby.
Once inside, a female guard informed me that she would hold the baby while I passed through the detector.  She smiled and cooed at him and continued to hold him even after we cleared security.  The guard told me she would keep the baby with her while we were inside, but reluctantly handed him back.
It took about an hour to get all the correct paperwork turned in, stamped, signed and paid for, and soon we were heading  back home.
Walking back to the car, I couldn’t help but get a little teary.  My dad would have been so happy to know that his six-day-old grandson had just applied for his very own passport…his own ticket to see the world.
May its soon-to-be tattered pages be filled with many stamps, and may Cooper never let it expire.
Here’s to a lifetime of adventure, my son!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go Mr. Cooper McGarvey! Suzi, thanks for the great story!

Maya said...

What an amazing blog, Suzi! I love you and I couldn't help but get tears in my eyes too as I thought of how proud your Tati would have been today!

Vasyl said...

Skvely pribeh.Tak vzhuru na zivotni cestu Cooper!!!!!!!