Remember that commercial for chewy granola bars where parents are encouraged to feed them to their children to keep them from pointing out in brutal honesty what years of social conditioning have taught us adults to keep to ourselves? Over the course of our journey to become parents there are many times I wish I had a box of chewy granola bars on hand to avoid the probing questions of children. Infertility and adoption are foreign concepts to them and questions are as natural to them as they are painful to me. Questions as benign as "When are you going to have a baby, Jill?" to heart wrenching questions like the one my niece asked Angie. "Angie, why are you selling your baby?" I literally heard Angie's heart break with that one.
This weekend I was asked what I believe to be the best question I've ever been asked about adoption. The question came from River's first brother P who is a couple months shy of 6 years old.
P: Jill, does it ever embarass you that River had to come out of my mommy's tummy?
Me: (laughing because seriously I thought it was funny) No, I actually think it is pretty cool. Does it embarass you?
P: No. I just wondered.
I so wish I would have said something cooler. Some great quote for the ages. Something like:
Me: No, because if he hadn't come out of your mommy's tummy he wouldn't have such beautiful green eyes or such cute feet. And if he hadn't come out of your mommy's tummy we wouldn't be as close with you as we are right now. And I wouldn't give that up for anything.
But instead I laughed because oddly in the (LARGE/VAST/OVERWHELMING) spectrum of emotions I have experienced with adoption embarassment has not been one of them :)
Adoption Ain't For Sissies: “We read to know we’re not alone.” ~ C.S. Lewis
3 comments:
Kids are SO perceptive, and just aren't afraid to ask the hard questions. I see people thinking of those questions when they find out Jackson's adopted, but they never ask. And btw, that birthday cake was beautiful, and so special. He will always know you both came together for him. It's really amazing.
Aww, don't you love kids? There are so many questions with adoption that you simply don't have to deal with with bio kids, but hopefully our kids will understand all we went thru to get them and how much they are loved!
My ten year old asked me if when my daughter was born if I got any money for her. I said, no why.. he said you should have she was yours. He said about 50 bucks would have been nice.
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