Meet The Murray Family

Lt. Gov. & His Wife in "Rare" Interview Talk About Adopting Their Daughters From Guatemala
BY kate m. jackson

But anyone who's gone through a process of having a child - whether it's by giving birth or by adoption - knows it's something you can't fully appreciate until the child is in your arms. At that moment, everything else falls away and you understand it was all worthwhile." - Lt. Gov. Tim Murray The young girl with dark curls, her brown eyes full of wonder, is peeking out from behind the chair where her mother and big sister are sitting. Her father, Lt. Governor Tim Murray, attempts to coax her out of her hiding place.

"Gimme five," he says, extending his palm. "C'mon, Peanut, Gimme five."

His daughter leans over, slaps him five, and runs a lap around the chair before collapsing in giggles on her mother Tammy's lap - a place where she has spent a great deal of time since her arrival from Guatemala, according to her father.

"She was like a koala bear with Tammy for at least the first two weeks after we brought her home," he said. "But the two girls hit it off right away."

The two girls he is speaking of are his daughters: 20-month-old Katerine Mariela and Helen Roowina, 2 ½, both of whom the Murrays adopted from Guatemala.

They brought Helen Roowina, who goes by "Roowie," home in December 2005 when she was just nine months old.

In May 2007, they welcomed Katerine Mariela, called "Kati" (pronounced Kah-tee) - and sometimes "Peanut" - at age 15 months

"Roowie really wasn't jealous at all. I think it's because Kati was like an instant playmate for her," said Tammy. Her daughters, in matching floral dresses, are firmly planted on her lap where they alternate between being shy and curious.

"We've been really fortunate throughout this entire process," she said.

The Murrays, who reside in Worcester, decided to adopt from Guatemala after weighing numerous choices and options.

"When we decided this was the route we were going to take to start our family, we really had to educate ourselves," the Lt. Governor said. "We knew adoption could take anywhere between six months to two years and that there would be highs and lows in any process."

One of Tammy's friends, who had adopted children from China and India, suggested the Murrays talk to the Open Door Society. The Open Door Society of Massachusetts, which is now called the Adoption Community of New England, is a non-profit organization based in now Westborough that offers education and support for families wishing to adopt and the entire adoption triad.

"They discussed everything with us - domestic adoption, open adoption, closed adoption, international adoption," he said. "Each country has a different process but they walk you through each one so you can find out which is a better fit. They also have resources on how to address questions like 'where do I come from,' how to help the families adjust, how to incorporate culture, etc."

The Murrays said they ultimately selected Guatemala because the country had a solid track record and predictable process for timely adoptions. In addition, the children were generally younger and healthier.

"Also both girls had been in just one foster home since they were born, which we liked, because it was more stable," said Tammy.

Now, the two sisters share their permanent home and heritage - and sometimes even their toys. Like most American toddlers, they live in a world of Disney Princesses, Dora the Explorer, and Elmo. They love animals, trips to the zoo, reading books, and rocking out to the Wiggles.

The girls, with their olive skin and dark features, not only look like sisters but act like siblings.

For instance, one moment they're fighting over a riding toy, and the next, when Roowie catches her finger in a door, Kati rushes to her side and - in a compassionate gesture well beyond her years - lays her head against her big sister's hand.

The Murrays would like the girls to ultimately speak both English and Spanish, but right now their first priority is communication.

Tammy, who works as an occupational therapist with the Worcester Public Schools, sensed early on that Roowie had a speech delay. Upon further investigation, they learned she needed to have tubes placed in her ears.

The tubes were placed in June; and with the help of weekly speech therapy, Roowie is now talking up a storm. Kati is also receiving speech therapy and is making steady gains, said Tammy.

"Roowie's language is coming really quickly," she said. "And we noticed her speech is even helping Kati with hers."

This is evident when Smash - the Murray's jovial bulldog - bounds into the room, snorting with glee. Kati's face lights up, "Smasssssh!"

One thing is certain; the family is creating a bicultural experience inside and outside their home.

In September, they attended a celebration for Guatemalan Independence Day in Providence, R.I.

A few days a week, the girls attend a daycare program with a teacher of Puerto Rican heritage, who speaks both English and Spanish.

On the front door of the Murray's home, a plaque with the Gaelic greeting "Cead Mille Failte" ("A Hundred Thousand Welcomes") shares space with a Guatemalan Worry Doll Wreath. The wreath is part of a custom of the Mayan Indians of Guatemala that believes if you tell your worries to the "worry people" on the wreath, your worries will disappear overnight.

Of course, no immersion into a culture would be complete without cuisine.

For that, the Murrays called upon an El Salvadoran restaurant in Worcester called "Pupusa La Salvadorena" to cater Kati's christening.

"The owner is a friend of mine I got to know when I was Mayor of Worcester. He's been introducing us to all kinds of Central American dishes, the rice and beans, the pupusas," he said.

The Murrays said they are leaving the door open for future adoptions but today their focus is on enjoying as much time with their daughters, as their busy schedules permit.

"People always call adoption a 'leap of faith' and that's certainly true," he said. "There are more unknowns than knowns. But anyone who's gone through a process of having a child - whether it's by giving birth or by adoption - knows it's something you can't fully appreciate until the child is in your arms. At that moment, everything else falls away and you understand it was all worthwhile."

Kate M. Jackson is a Massachusetts-based freelance writer, who has won several awards.