INTERESTING DISCUSSION

I have recently had a few people ask me some interesting questions about our family. For me, the "new" normal has now turned into the "regular" normal. I think less and less about adoption and more and more about our family...the way it is. I guess that there are still folks out there that have questions about our blended family. Here are two such questions that caught me off guard recently.

I called to leave a message for one of my kids at the school and the receptionist asked if she should refer to me as "Mom". "Does he call you...Mom?" My first inclination was to say..."Of course, he does!! What else would he call me? I AM his mom"...but I thought better of it realizing that it was simply an innocent question. I know that she is a very nice person and would never intentionally say anything hurtful. It made me realize how fortunate I am that I don't just have three more kids living with me...I have three more children that are nestled in my heart...and I in theirs. Our kids have called us "Mom and Dad" from the very first phone call to today. Just for the record, I love being called "Mom" by my kids. All of them.

I was sitting at a table with R,R and R when a well-intentioned lady started asking questions about the children. They were present when she asked..."how long have you had THEM...and will you be keeping THEM forever to raise THEM as your own?" I was slightly irritated, but (again) tried to be gracious as I answered the questions. Inside of me, the protective Mother Hen was rearing my head. I know that people mean well in their curiosity about our blended family, but sometimes...

I am truly thankful that we have felt an easy bond with our Filipino children. We certainly do love them. We feel that they love and are connected to us as well. It is a blessing. It doesn't alway happen that way.