July 7, 2025: The Language Shift

At 7yrs old, Kate became family.

And from the beginning, we felt more complete. She joined us through an Ethiopian adoption, a journey full of prayer and paperwork.

When we first met Tigist — her birth name, which still holds special meaning — she spoke almost no English, knowing only a few words:

Mom and Dad.
I love you.
Chocolate.

You know, the essentials. But soon immersed in everyday life, she picked up vocabulary and phrases with help from her siblings and a steady diet of Disney shows. Hello, Hannah Montana.

Kate quickly found her voice. Watching this Amharic-speaking little girl master a new language was like witnessing a flower unfold.

Now she’s a college sophomore, and you’d never guess she once relied on hand gestures and hugs to make herself understood. It’s a testament to Kate’s abilities and resilience.

Whenever I face the challenge of doing something tough, I think of her.

That’s where my mind went this week while reading about Meta’s “Superintelligence” project. Their latest AI models go beyond mimicking speech, aiming to read between the lines and grasp nuance.

The researchers working on this tech are being offered multi-million dollar packages. So, Zuckerberg, if you’re still throwing millions at language geniuses, Kate’s your hire.

But fair warning… her contract may include a chocolate clause.