[In line at the store today with Nate & Dexter]
Random Woman: Do you have two boys?
Me: (honest to a fault) Actually I have three.
Random Woman: Oh that's great - I had three boys also.
[Sidebar -- why do people say that they had children? Even if your children are adults now, wouldn't it still be accurate to say that you have three sons? Just sayin'.]
Random Woman: So is the baby at home then?
Me: Um... yep.
It's not exactly a lie, right? He is at his home, which is not my home, but nonetheless it is home for now. In some ways he is more at home today than he will be after he moves across the world to live with us.... but that's not a conversation I want to have in line at Safeway with a perfect stranger.
And so it begins: the awkwardness of talking (or not talking) with strangers about adoption. At this point we are not even conspicuous yet (unless you happen to ask a specific question like "Do you have two boys?"), but soon enough it will be open season. In the meantime I think I'll be avoiding eye contact at the grocery store and memorizing Colossians 4:6 --
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
mmm hmmmm... I need to tape that verse to the front door so I see it every time I leave the house.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is because we are the SF Bay Area, but we haven't had any real negative comments. We do stand out and I do get the comments - are they all yours?, wow, you have your hands full. I just proudly say, yes, they are all mine. I am so blessed to have these great kids.
ReplyDeleteSince our newest daughter is 6 and can follow the conversations, I say K. recently joined our family from Ethiopia. She is so smart and a wonderful little girl. We are so blessed to have her in our family.
Leslie - another YWAM mom
Well, you know I've faced the same thing... it's incredibly complicated, isn't it?? I find the nice people much MUCH harder to know what to do with than the cranky ones.
ReplyDeletei just love this!!
ReplyDelete