Gratitude and Adoption

There was a post a while back over at Don’t We Look Alike on the topic of gratitude called “To Adoptive and Prospective Adoptive Parents.”  It resonated with me as something I agree with and something I have seen addressed fairly regularly on other adoption blogs.  Because it is an issue.  And we can’t address an issue if we don’t know it exists, can we?

I cannot count how many times, upon hearing that I have adopted my (older, large sibling group, from foster care) children, I am told that I am a “saint” or that I “have a place in heaven for sure now” or that I am a “special” person for doing this, or a number of other similar responses.  What is implied is that my kids are “so lucky” to have been adopted by me.  In fact, just as many people actually verbalize that by…