A domestically adopted friend of mine from middle school recently posted the following Huffington Post article titled, "37 Ignorant Things These Sisters Commonly Hear About Adoption." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/28/ignorant-things-about-adoption-_n_4859783.html) I was stunned and saddened at what some uneducated people had so boldly and hurtfully asked these two young adopted girls and their parents. But, I loved the visual the mother displayed in showcasing the ignorance of some people about adoption. Wow!
I'm SO thankful and grateful I didn't have to endure those harsh, mean-spirited comments/questions from strangers as I was growing up. I wouldn't wish that on any young child. But, in the world we live in today I'm not totally surprised...just really disheartened by it. I definitely think those questions would have set and festered in my mind if I had heard them growing up and I'm so troubled that kids have to deal with it now. I know it's a cruel world out there and parents can't protect them from all evils, but many of these comments/questions are truly disrespectful. It makes me want to shake those people and truly educate them so they have a greater understanding and hopefully respect for all those involved in adoption. That's the power of education!
Education brings knowledge and we're never too old, stubborn, all-knowing, arrogant or smart to learn something new each and every day! And, it makes the value of my book even more apparent when I read things like this! I want to shove my book in their faces and tell them to read it so they understand what it's truly like to be adopted...or at least from one adoptee's perspective. So, I would encourage anyone who needs to educate someone on adoption to direct them to purchase my book so they don't continue to walk around asking ignorant questions in the future. Learn. Grow. Respect one another.
On a brighter note, I received a Facebook message this morning from a lady I met at the mini-Book Signing I did a couple weeks ago. She was the one waiting for the word to go pick up her son in Seoul, South Korea. They got the word last week and she messaged me from the airport saying they were on their way to get their son! She "LOVED the book" and was so glad she had read it before bringing her son home. I'm SO excited for her and her family and I look forward to meeting him one day! I know it's been a long and patient journey to get through all the paperwork and legalities, but now their dream will soon be fulfilled. It's heart-warming and amazing!! Good luck and safe travels to them!
As a new week approaches and I sit here listening to the sleet continue to come down outside, I'm looking forward to what the new week ahead will bring...new stories, new opportunities, new outlooks...you never know, but I always hope for a brighter tomorrow. So, I hope you have a productive, happy week ahead full of many blessings! And, enjoy watching the Academy Awards (in the U.S.) tonight!
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