Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Good for you, good for us.

When we first started the adoption process, I felt isolated and alone. Then I started reading blogs, and more blogs, and more blogs. It's kind of like walking into a room full of new people. In this sea of personality, somebody appeals especially to you. Their look, their humor, their voice, a magical blend of the ephemera of self. Maybe you dare to reach out. You hope for chemistry. You hope not to blow it with a crass joke or by spitting appetizer in their face. And if you're very, very lucky your instincts were on-point and you may have stumbled into the luckiest of surprises: a new friend, just like that.

Our Own Rooney was the first blog I started returning to again and again. I love this family, every one, despite the fact that we've never met. Several months ago I was on a work trip to New York and was having lunch with a nice woman from Time magazine. I mentioned that my daughter was Ethiopian. She said she had a good friend from Portland, a nicer guy you'll never meet, who'd adopted from Ethiopia. I was kidding really when I said "Not The Ted Rooney?" "The Ted Rooney." "Not THE Ted Rooney." "The Ted Rooney." And on and on we went until I realized that Ted Rooney's identity had been properly established and good lord, we were talking about the Rooneys over steak frites and isn't life funny. A few weeks later one of my good friends from New York mentioned that she'd run into a nice guy and his Ethiopian son on the bus. Ha ha, let me guess, The Ted Rooney? I joked. THE Ted Rooney! The Rooney family were spending a month in New York and because Dulcy holds the center of all people and places they of course ran into Dulcy on the street and Dulcy of course invited them over so the kids could play and of course Dulcy made snacks. How can anyone in this world ever feel isolated and alone when there are Ted Rooneys and Dulcys out there reminding us that we are at all times connected.

Ted and Lori and Abe are adopting another child. A five year old Ethiopian girl, at a time when the adoption process has grown suddenly more confounding and more costly. Adoptive parents must now travel twice to Ethiopia--once for court (and then, cruel whims of bureaucracy, they must leave without bringing the precious child they have since met home with them), and once for the actual care-passing of the child. I can say from experience that the plane trip alone for two adults costs over $5,000. Lori very gracefully, very smartly, has found a way to raise funds for their travel expenses. I contributed because I love the Rooneys, and I love five year old girls. I felt enormously happy making my donation, especially because I might now win a super cool custom-made doll from Lori's friend and a fellow adoptive mom.

Please consider giving a little, any little bit counts!, to the enormously generous Rooney family. Lori has made it an effortless process. Five dollars, 10, 20. You'll feel so good afterwards, I promise.