Mary over at the Ethiopia adoption blog started this meme, and I thought it would be fun to join in.


Four things I thought about adoption when I was a child:

- I first heard about the idea of adoption on Little House on the Prairie (which was my absolute favorite show!) Albert, Alicia, John and the kid who was played by Jason Bateman but I can't remember his name on the show, were all adopted.

- I thought that only "cool" and famous people were adopted in real life, and that only rich people were able to adopt children.

- I wanted to adopt a baby girl from China.

- Thinking of children in orphanages always made me cry.



Four things I've learned since then:

- Lots of people, famous and not, are adopted.

- Most people with the true desire to adopt a child are able to do so.

- Adoption is about love, blessings and happy things, but it is also about loss and heartbreak, too.

- There are way more children who are all alone in this world than I ever could have imagined as a child, and thinking about children with no parents still makes me cry.



Four silly things people have said to me about adoption:

- But they aren't all REALLY yours are they?

- You know they're going to be all screwed up when they grow up, right?

- Which ones are your real kids?

- I find it really disturbing that all of those children are calling you "mom". (I really think that the lady that said that thought I was running a day care and having the kids I babysat call me "mom". I don't think it ever occurred to her that they were my kids. I just said, "Yup, they do that.")



Four things that are hard about adoption:

- Having your motives, abilities, sanity and everything else judged by so many others, just because your family doesn't fit in the average mold.

- Not always knowing what the right answer is or what the right way to handle something is with your children.

- Knowing all of the hurt and loss that your child and his family have experienced before you were able to come together to be a family.

- Loving a child as your own and having to wait to be able to hold him in your arms.



Four ways my adopted children have surprised me:

- How whole-heartedly they have been able to love, trust and accept us as their family.

- How quickly my internationally adopted children have learned English.

- How perfectly each one fits into our family, and how our family would not be right without each one of them being here.

- How resilient each one of them is. They have been through so much and are still so happy, loving, trusting and wonderful. They are my heroes.



Four things I wish everyone knew about adoption:

- There are millions and millions of children waiting right now for a family to want them and there is a huge need for more adoptive families.

- Adoption is not just like becoming a parent through child birth, but it is every bit as wonderful, amazing, awe-inspiring and life changing.

- Special needs kids are perfect too. They are not burdens. They are no less perfect or wonderful. They are just as big of a blessing as "healthy" kids.

- When you adopt a child, that child truly is yours. I say it all the time- Yes, they are all really, really, really, MINE.