Apparently some people completely against international adoption (maybe adoption completely- I'm not sure) have found my blog and have been leaving plenty of nasty comments (which is why my comments are now monitored). It hurts my heart. One, because they are amazingly offensive to my family and I. Two, because the attitude and hatred spread by people like this is severely impacting the lives of children and families around the world. I believe in adoption. From all places. Foster care, every country out there, private domestic, open/closed adoptions as each situation requires. I do NOT believe we should 'only take care of our own' because if a person is part of the human race- they are our own. People should be caring for and loving people. From everywhere. In all ways possible. This should be done in the absolute most ethical way possible. Agencies should be checked and double checked and every question, hard or not, should be asked. No decision should be made lightly (in any adoption- domestic or international). In countries like Ethiopia, every decision and piece of paperwork should most definitely be even more scrutinized. After all of that, if to give a child the love of a family international adoption is necessary, then I believe that is what should be done. Believe me we are doing everything we can to ensure the little boy whose referral pictures are on our computer and phones needs a family. That he needs to be our son and doesn't have someone out there looking for him. In other efforts to care for and love all other people- I believe in shopping fair trade. I believe in ensuring we are supporting love and appropriate work environments and expectations for all. Working should be a way to loosen the grips of poverty. It should give someone something to be proud of. Not be part of slavery or abuse. I could list so many great companies here for you...someday I will. For now, feel free to ask me. New fair trade find though: even Aldi's has fair trade coffee. :)
Ok. So. Off my soapbox now. I had written a post about how Gideon was now 5 months old and I had my hardest day yet, adoption wise. On the day he turned 5 months I realized it was most likely a minimum of 2 months until we'd see pictures of him, or that he'd see pictures of us. I realized that though I truly am grateful he is in a smaller orphanage that the smaller, far away from the capital orphanage gets significantly fewer families who actually visit. Which in turn means significantly less picture updates from other visiting families. I know he is in good care. That he's held and loved. That not seeing visiting families come in and out all in time is so good in the long run. I also know children in his orphanage are using refrigerator boxes as cribs. I knew adoption (and taking the time to ensure the adoption is ethical) would take time and it would be hard. It was just my first really hard day. Followed by really awful comments. I deleted the whole thing in tears. But. I refuse to be sorry or embarrassed or bullied about loving Gideon. I will love him and care for him and make sure all his paperwork/story is ethical. That he needs a family. If he already has one, then I'll work hard to make sure he gets reunited with them. If he doesn't, then with joyful tears in my eyes, we will bring him home, to a family FOREVER.
