Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Love Our Way

Today I read Love Our Way, a recent Australian book outlining the story of a large adoptive family who learned that their youngest two children from India were not willingly relinquished for adoption, rather stolen from their mother and sold.

Ugh. I can't even begin to fathom the birth mother's anguish and pain... nor the emotions of anyone else involved in the saga. As I read the story I couldn't help but be relieved that these children were adopted into this particular family, where the parents were bold enough to confront the issue and wise enough to take the steps they did. In a strange series of events it seems that the birth mother's life has been saved through the reunion and she has a hope and a future.

We need stories like this to be told. There is/has been corruption in international adoption in a number of countries, and unless people are aware then there can be little done towards ensuring ethical practices are employed globally. I am pro-adoption, but as I have said before on this blog, I believe international adoption should be a last resort, and then only for children whose only other option is to be raised in an institution without a permanent loving family. I've read too many stories from adult adoptees to believe that transnational adoption is always the fairytale ending it's often made out to be.

Julia Rollings, the author of Love Our Way, has a blog - Towards a New Ending. It was nice to finish the book and then read the following installments and see current pictures in her blog. I was excited to learn also that the television show Foreign Correspondent will be sharing some of this story when it recommences screening in February.

If you're interested in buying the book, I picked mine up at an airport Newslink store. You can also use the link above.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas wishes


Happy Christmas! We are off to tropical far north Queensland for a week where we will celebrate Christmas with my parents. Wishing all our friends, family and blog readers a very special Christmas and holiday season!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Child bride

Happy Anniversary to us! Twelve years ago today I walked up the aisle into the arms of the man I love (okay, he was just a boy back then).

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

On being an ancient mamma

Wow, and I sometimes worry about being a 'late-starter' and not beginning my family until my thirties. A 70 year old Indian woman has just given birth to a baby! Rajo and her husband had been married 50 years and felt there was a social stigma that they never had children. Eeek!


"We longed for a child all these years and now we are very happy to have one in the twilight years of our life."

Full article here.

Monday, December 08, 2008

3 months logged in

It's the eighth of the month, which means we are celebrating three months logged in!



All images licensed under Creative Commons. 1. Spot the difference!, 2. Pewter Number 3, 3. Dancing Kids

'All I Really Want for Christmas' music video

I watched this and was so glad to be reminded that I have the best gift of all, a family. This video suggests there are 50 million orphans who don't.


'All I Really Want for Christmas', Steven Curtis Chapman

Monday, December 01, 2008

Batch buddies

We (finally) got sent the names and contact details for the other seven couples in our batch today. Hrm now what. I guess someone has to initiate first contact, but it may be a little pointless this early on. Although I guess we don't have to meet up - I could just send a 'hello' email. Hrmmm...

We're not just the same batch; we're also the only files that went to China from Qld this year! It's intriguing to think we will be traveling together and that our children will have a lifelong connection. Maybe our children will all be from the same orphanage. Will we get a 'red couch' photo like the thousands before us?

I also wonder how much can happen between now and referral. How many of the eight couples will drop out / change plans / give up waiting?! (Not us!)