Sorry, you're not real.

Today I learned that there were saber-toothed squirrels in Argentina. Which is pretty cool because I'm writing a story that features squirrels the size of corgis.

I also learned the sad news that a couple from a TV show I don't watch lost a child. Well, their surrogate did. Both Dr. Jennifer Arnold and Bill Klein are little people, that is, they have a condition that causes dwarfism. They want children, but, out of concern for Jennifer's health, opted to have an embryo implanted in a surrogate mother, who would carry it through pregnancy. Very sadly, she had a miscarrige. They're devastated and so are those who were watching them and showing their support. This is my virtual hug to them. *hug*

And the rest of this post has nothing to do with them; I know nothing about their opinion on adoption, and respect them regardless. This post is inspired by the comment section of the article.

"Why would they want some stranger's kid when they are young enough to have their own, no matter what?  If you feel that way, why don't YOU go adopt one???"- superdogs

I don't know why I even read comments on news articles. Most people who comment online do it because if they stated their opinions out loud they would have no friends. It's usually pointless to reply to them because they are ignorant and therefore don't need to alter their opinions. (I am ignorant sometimes. Sorry. Per my advice here, just ignore me in those cases.)

What is it with adoption? Here is a short history: for thousands of years babies died because people had no medical knowledge. Then we had medical knowledge and tons of babies sitting around in orphanages. Now we can let other people grow our babies for us, so we can have a biological child (which is great if you have good genes) and let someone else deliver it. And that's fine. But the orphanages are still there.

"A lot of adopted kids are angry because their original parents gave them up for some reason.  Have you ever talked to an adopted child?  Have you seen how many horrible families are granted adoption rights and all they do is abuse their child?" - lavender2569

I've heard stories of many people who, like Arnold and Klein, have to go through extremely long and heartbreaking processes in order to have biological children. It's a natural desire, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting or having biological children.

Some people don't want to adopt because it's not "real". Real children come out of your own uterus. It's just not the same. And I'm sure it isn't. Difference, however, does not make something a less desirable choice. No, you won't have a direct genetic bond with an adopted child. People put too much stock in genetic relationships anyway. Choosing to love someone is worth a thousand times more than assuming that you love someone by virtue of your comparative DNA.

"You just don't get it....somepeople want their OWN  child, not a non-relative! Why don't YOU go adopt some foster-care kid?" - superdogs

 As I mentioned in my last post, there are now 7 billion people in the world. Some of those people do not have families to take care of them. Thousands are able to join families that are as real as anyone else's. Many, however, will not have that privilege because people who could have loved them did not think they were "real".

I'm still in college, and I can barely take care of myself. Someday, though, I want to adopt. (I checked, and apparently I'm not allowed to adopt everyone.) I will make my genetically-dissimilar children lasagna, take them to museums, and, if I'm not a total failure as a parent, hook them on Doctor Who and Narnia. And they will be real.