Thursday, February 23, 2006

A Tale of Adoption

Easter a few years back was a very sad time at my work. One of the managers at work, Blaine, was just the nicest guy. He had two teenage boys, was active in his church.... We came to work on Easter Monday to find out Blaine's boys, Wes & Andy, had been out with their two best friends Friday night, and three of the four boys had been killed in a car accident that was caused by the driving of the fourth. Blaine & his wife lost their only children to a moment of teenage carelessness. It's one of the reasons I get so incensed at the teenage idiots in my neighborhood -- I've seen what can happen!

For a long while, Blaine was just... hollow. He gradually seemed more "normal", but still a shadow of sadness. Fastforward to Mother's Day 2005. Charles & the kids and I saw Blaine come into Mayberry's with his wife, whose arm was in a sling (she'd had a fall at church that morning). Long story short, as I was talking to them, Blaine shared they were working on adopting a little girl from China. (I'm getting to the point of the story soon, I PROMISE.) It really uplifted alot of us to know they were adopting -- Blaine has said he wasn't done being a parent. They are #2 in line to go, and hope to go to China in May... I had lunch with Blaine one day and we were talking about adoption... he was sharing some of the obnoxious comments he's gotten on it... "Why do you have to go to China to get a child?!" I loved Blaine's answer to this one "Because that's where she is!" I am always really stunned by people who get negative reactions when they adopt. I was reading a friend's blog today and this story came to mind because someone was asking her about her youngest who was adopted from China. Another lady at work came home in November with a son from Guatemala. Other friends from work just celebrated their adopted daughter's 6th birthday -- they got her when she was 2 days old -- their son is 12 I think. When Lisa got her daughter, she commented to me about how supportive I'd been through their process, and how few people were. It just surprises me. I always think people who adopt are like "extra special" parents!

4 comments:

Scrapperbo said...

I think adoption is great!! Congrats to them!!! XOXO

Melzie said...

You know.. I would wonder why peopel don't think about the fact that these children have no one who wants them- and here comes someone who does- and there ya go- a happy family! :)

Courtney said...

I think adopting is great too! It's awful that people are not supportive this?!

Briana said...

I hope it goes through!! That would be awesome!!!