Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.
- Pueblo Blessing
Friday, May. 20, 2005 - 1:13 a.m.
WARNING!!!! if you know me personally, you may read my diary, but if you do, you take the chance of hearing things you don't want to know, misunderstanding what I've written and being hurt by it. If you are unsure if it is ok to read, save yourself and me the grief and heartache, and ask first!!! Please note that this is a DIARY, ie my subjective feelings, hearsay, suppositions, and outpourings of ranting of the moment. It does not represent objective news, the whole of what I think of a topic or someone, or even a thought-out representation of any of the above. Keep that in mind. Thanks. * Here is a Diary Etiquette Read Me.
Independent Adoption??
New things I've learned.
Quebec DOES allow independent international adoptions. Incredibly Quebec considers ANY adoption outside its provincial borders, even from Ontario or the other provinces, to be INTERNATIONAL adoptions. So an adoption from Toronto, Chicago or Ukraine would be considered equivalents! yikes! It is a cool thing, in that if the Canadian agencies are having a bad reputation, I, the feisty independent broad I am, could go with an adoption facilitator recommended by someone in the States. The BAD thing is that facilitators in the Ukraine who normally do US adoptions wouldn't necessarily know the Canadian system, AND would probably be able to translate English/Russian but not French/Russian. hmmm.
But it does seem like a possibility.
I also read some studies that seem to indicate that despite tearing the kids from their culture and the environment they know as home, that they end up doing well, even into adolescence and university. That's a relief after the horror stories i have heard. Scroll down past the list of studies to the actual study summaries. They do say that racial discrimination ends up being an issue, if the children are a different race. That does NOT surprise me. yikes. Another reason to go with the Ukraine instead of China.
I just had a thought... maybe I could enlist my churchgoing but very openminded most wonderful aunt to go to the Ukraine with me. She is positive, down to earth, calm and has experience with all sorts of situations, including having an alcoholic husband and 8 kids. It is her hubby who was Ukranian, and their kids took Ukranian dancing. I am sure that my mother would not be physically up for such a trip, AND equally sure that it would be exhausting and lonely to go myself. AND I think she would be a super asset. Since she is divorced, she tends to take care of other people's houses while they are away, and thus gets to travel, and does volunteer work. I think she is about 65-70. In good shape and is one of my advocates in life. A wonderful woman (It is she whom I spoke to about their family of origin after my father's disastrous visit here).
Here is a difficult and heartbreaking video of an orphanage that has severely damaged children, especially older ones. The thing is I do not for one moment doubt that facilities for such kids are different here, or the kids are happier when they get dumped by their families at institutions.
I have also learned that a lot of the work done in orphanages in the Ukraine by North Americans tends to be faith-based charity work. People on the adopt from Ukraine list are all "God and Jesus see me through" and "I went over with my church as a mission". yikes.
OK, gotta get some work done. This adoption thing is totally eating up my attention. slurp slurp slurp!!
tah!
wenchie.
1 People have left cute, callous or caring comments on the wench's wordiness!!
Leave yours too!!
Go to "notes" instead of comments
ps, you'll need to email me for a username and password
previous meanderings - future past
Goodbye Michael. May your next life be kinder to you. - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Taking Care of Your Cows - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Saint Joseph robs the cradle and eats spaghetti - Sunday, Jun. 14, 2009
sticky notes and broken irises - Friday, Jun. 12, 2009
The FOODCOMMANDER - Monday, Jun. 08, 2009
