Monday, March 06, 2006
Background Information
"PrayingTwice" asked a few questions to fill in the background of the last three posts. I've alluded to some of these questions, and given answers elsewhere, but here they are in a condensed format:
Concerning the adoption at such a later age: Did you and wife marry late? Did you try to conceive normally? Were you on a waiting list for a great while? Did you go through a Catholic agency?
My wife and I married when we were in our late thirties. We did try to conceive since our honeymoon. We also employed the assistance of a friend who taught NFP, but obviously nothing worked.
I forget the exact timetable these days, but from the time we began our first classes to our daughter's placement, two years elapsed. We indicated interest in twenty-eight different children--some of them family groups of two or three. We drove substantial distances in the state of Iowa to meet social workers, attend seminars, and the most-dreaded of experiences, the adoption fair.
One such fair took place at the hockey arena in Waterloo, Iowa. It was very sad and discouraging. Imagine a dozen or so kids "on display" as prospetive parents watched and skated with them. One little girl slowed down each time she passed where Anita and I were sitting (my wife doesn't skate) and it was clear she was showing off for us.
"How are you feeling?" my wife asked at the end of it all.
"It's not a feeling, but I'd like to adopt them all and take over the church basement at the parish to house them," I said.
We didn't go through our diocesan Catholic charities, because of reasons given in a previous post. We chose to adopt a special needs child through the state department of human services.
2) How old was your daughter when you brought her home? Does she have any special needs?
She was almost five. She was born with a congenital heart defect and had this procedure to enable her to live. God bless her foster families and the medical people that guided her through it.
As one who was adopted as an infant into a loving home, this is an area of interest for me and your background would clarify a few things for me.
A polite request is almost always a pleasure to respond to. The mindless accusations, name-calling, and intentional ignorance of so much of St Blog's stands in stark contrast.
