Wednesday, November 18, 2009

It's my story and I'm stickin to it

It's kind of weird but tomorrow night our adoption agency has asked me and Steve to be on a webcast where potential adoptive parents can call in, here our story and ask us questions. In some ways I'm kind of looking forward to it (even if it IS right in the middle of Survivor!) and in other ways I don't really know what to say.

In fact, I just looked across the room where Quinn was playing with his cars. (He SHOULD still be taking a nap, but that's for a different post.) He was telling me that Olivia and Turner are sleeping. He just held up his shoe and said, "MY shoe!" He jabbers on ALL DAY LONG in English. He even loves our dog (and he *might* be the only one in this family who does.) When he first arrived he screamed bloody murder at the sight of him. He has a funny little dance he does to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that he must have learned at the orphanage, because he didn't learn that from me. He is my little boy and he is full of contradictions and delights rounded out by a few annoying traits. As I took it all in just now and thought about that call, I got a bit overwhelmed with what the heck will I share to people contemplating adoption?

We didn't adopt because of infertility. We didn't adopt because we have this righteous cause for saving orphans. We didn't adopt because we had extra money we didn't know what to do with. We didn't adopt because we wanted more kids. We didn't adopt because its the sexy new cause. We adopted because God told us to. And for some people, that's weird as heck.

Our experience was unbelievably amazing. We got a great kid with so few "issues" that I'm STILL waiting for the other shoe to drop. He has a new and improved smile and was a trooper through it all. In a heart beat I'd do it all over again. But that's not always the case with adoption for the kids or the family. I don't believe adoption is the right thing for everyone. I can't promise it will be easy and blessed and a joy.
So, I'm still trying to figure out what to tell these people. I guess I'll just go with our story and let that tell itself. It is SO good to reflect on the blessing of the past year! Because sometimes it gets lost in the day to day.

2 comments:

Stacie@HobbitDoor said...

I'm sure your story will be enough. Anything else and they'll ask right? I think every adoption story is a bit different just like each birth story. The main thing is that it's the one God gave you. While our birth experience wasn't quite like I expected or any that I read, it still helped hearing about others before hand.

Colleen said...

Maybe some would find it weird for you to say that God told you to adopt Quinn, potential adoptive parents might find that amazing and what they NEED to hear. Those suffering from fertility may feel torn about it, seeing as they obviously wanted to have biological children. Hearing you say that may make them think, gee, maybe this has been God's plan all along. I am sure you'll do great. You have an excellent way with words!