Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption
Dear Monday,
Last time we saw each other, it was simply lovely. You were so warm. And, I so enjoyed our time together as did my children.
But, I am now confused because you are so cold–not at all the warm self we grew to love. In fact, you are quite ugly, and your ugliness has a dramatic effect on how the rest of us feel. In fact, my youngest child told her Daddy, “It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is Daddy.”
At the risk of sounding rude, we are kindly asking that you do not visit again until you are ready to be the Monday we know you can be.
Thank you very much,
The Raudenbush family
Last Friday night, I somehow found myself listening to this. I know it was meant to be entertaining. It is a performance after all. A 15-minute monologue by a New York actress who worked a season at F.A.O. Schwartz selling dolls—rather working in a “nursery” and helping girls under 8 “adopt” a baby. She gives an account of how the white dolls sold out and all that remained were babies with darker skin–Asian, Hispanic, and Black–and one “special needs” white baby–all dolls that well-off white mothers were shocked by.
Take 15 minutes and listen to it.
I was shocked when I did.
And embarrassed.
Embarrassed by my peers who I wish I could smack a bit, to be honest.
But, I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised.
We’ve only had about 47 years of legalized equality vs. 473 years of legalized slavery or legalized discrimination.
Shocking when you think of it that way, isn’t it?
And, apparently, it takes a long time to undo what has been learned. Thoughts. Feelings. Behaviors.
And, honestly, I wonder if it will ever be undone when just a couple weeks ago, someone looked at my daughter and asked me with genuine concern, “What is it?”
Don’t get me started about the treatment of the one baby with physical differences talked about in this monologue…
1492 – Columbus
1619 – 1st slaves to America
1787 – Legalized slavery & discrimination (3/5 person status)
1865 – End of legal slavery (Emancipation Procamation/13th Amendment)
1882 – Chinese denied citizenship
1896 – Separate but Equal made law (Plessy vs. Ferguson)
1954 – Separate but Equal laws overturned (Brown vs. Board of Education)
1965 – Civil Rights Act
is always clicking “choose” on random.org, seeing that number, and then counting down the entries to reveal the winner.
And, my last giveaways had an added “fun” component. I’ve never done a giveaway as a fundraiser. And, I have to say that it was pretty darn fun this morning to count up all the donations that have come in over the last 2 weeks—a total of $500.
Sa-weet.
Stop writing and start sharing winners…I know, I know. You all are just looking for names, I know.
The winner of the book A Cord of Three Strands
The winner of the package from The Sparrow Fund including a beautiful word art print of Luke 12:6-7, a sweet Kenyan bracelet of her choice from The Nest, and a kickin’ tee inspired by 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (see them for sale here and go ahead and buy one…seriously) is adoptive mama Shelley from Finishing our Family from China.
And, the winner of the big ole Chinese giveaway including three children’s books signed by the authors Geoff the Green Hippo: A Children’s Book about Adoption, 
Thank you to all 27 people who donated. Each and every one of you not only helped fund the way for Mark to go to China this May but also gave us so much encouragement. We’d see that email come into our inbox saying a donation was received, and we’d do a little cartwheel (in our hearts, mind you. My cartwheel days are long gone). Each dollar that came in gave us a little hug and said, “We support you. We are behind you.”