November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Because it is you can pretty much anticipate a mention here or there on adoption. It is something near and dear to my heart. It is also something that came naturally to Bill and me…as naturally as pregnancy and childbirth did. Because I celebrate this and the natural completion of our family circle via adoption, I bring you yet another Play It Again post from November 2, 2006.
November is National Adoption Awareness month
While reflecting on what I might want to say about adoption in recognition of this month, I kept coming back to Madonna’s adoption being such a hot topic in the news. While I can’t really know her heart or her true motivation to include this beautiful child into her family, I am not exactly on the same page as she is when she shares with the media what compelled her to adopt this child.
To me, choosing to adopt and parent a child is no more noble or saintly than choosing to conceive and give birth to a child that one intends to raise and parent. I have done both and I can say that one was not more admirable than the other to me. The fact of the matter is that Bill and I wanted to have a child, to add to our family circus, er circle and each time it was just as emotional, exciting, scary, spiritual and wonderful as the other.
Keeping that thought in mind, I have decided to devote this week’s Thursday Thirteen to famous people who have been touched by adoption as adoptive children and adoptive parents. Some might be known to you and some might not. The names on these two lists were purposely chosen because they usually do not or have not purposely broadcasted their adoption connections. Adoption was/is a natural part of their collective lives yet it is not always a known fact about them or their families. Borrowing and rephrasing a quote from another recent celebrity in the news, adoption is not the most interesting thing about them.
As an adoptive parent, I am often bothered by language used to describe adoption. It irks me a little when someone acquainted with me will point out to another person that Daniel is my “adopted” son (quotes emphasized) or that my daughters are my “natural”/”real” (ditto) children. My feeling is that Daniel, Jodie, Abby, Zoë and Holly are all, naturally, my children…my son and daughters. The fact that I have physically given birth to my girls and adopted my boy most certainly is not the most interesting thing about them or me.
Adoption is a way to build a family just as birth is. Both are important, but one is not more important than the other. With that thought in mind, I share with you thirteen famous adopted people and thirteen famous adoptive parents.
Famous adopted people:
- Dan O’Brien- Olympic decathlete
- Deborah Harry- lead singer of Blondie
- Jesse Jackson- Civil Rights activist
- John Lennon- member of the Beatles and prolific songwriter
- Larry Ellison- CEO of Oracle
- Nelson Mandela- former president of South Africa
- Ray Liotta- actor
- Steve Jobs- co-founder of Apple
- Senator Robert Byrd- politician
- Scott Hamilton- Olympic and professional figure skater
- Sarah McLachlan- musician
- James Michener- writer
- Edward Albee- playwright
Famous adoptive parents
1. Al Roker- Today Show weatherman/personality
2. Bob Hope- comedian, actor
3. Dan Marino- Football Hall of Fame quarterback
4. George Lucas- film director
5. Hugh Jackman- actor
6. Jane Fonda- actor
7. John Denver- musician
8. John G. Roberts- Supreme Court Chief Justice
9. Julie Andrews- actor, musician
10. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne- musician, celebrity reality television personalities
11. Robert Fulghum- writer
12. Senator John McCain- politician
13. Willie Mays- Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder
I am constantly amazed at the ignorance of people – especially when they are in our presence and they think that what they say is proper. It happens with a lot of groups and now I can add another to my list.
It’s amazing the things that are important to some people. They feel the need to point things out and separate people in some sort of societal caste system. I just don’t know why it matters.
It’s one of the saddest things to see a child go through a life without loving parents. Their genetic relationship doesn’t matter, the only thing that matters is the love. You have brought the life of a child back so that their circle is completed, and that they can feel like other children. Nothing is worse for a child than feeling different. Which is precisely why those ignorant comments offend me so. Don’t give children the feeling that they are different.
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I’m also the parent of child via adoption and via birth. I often get annoyed at the comments people make about how my children came to be mine. When I was pregnant with my daughter someone actually asked me if I was sorry I had adopted my son now that I knew I could have “kids of my own”. I wish I was kidding.
I just try to remind myself that what really matters is how much we all love each other and not that some people out there just don’t understand that a family is a family is a family, no matter how it came to be.
Very interesting. I didn’t know about some of those folks.
I’m late getting around to visit all of the Carnival participants. (Crazy week . . . only excuse!)
THANK YOU for being part of Colloquium’s inaugural edition. I appreciate your support.
Don’t forget that this week’s Carnival will be hosted at All Rileyed Up. If you haven’t submitted a post yet, you can do so until midnight (Pacific Time) tonight!