Part of the November series “30 Things I Know About Adoption.”
Before we even had Luke & Beza home, we would often get comments like:
“Wow, you’re amazing.”
“That is awesome! You guys must be great parents.”
“You’re my heroes.”
It’s the flip side of all the people telling you that you’re crazy.
Occasionally those would be finished with “those kids are so lucky” – a myth we’ll tackle another day.
And, depending on where you are in the adoption process, you might actually feel a bit like a superhero.
Tackling the paperwork is certainly a superhero-sized task. Keeping your emotions in check requires supernatural abilities some days as well.
Those comments were (and still are) a bit uncomfortable for me.
Maybe because I know the truth….that I broke down in tears at lunch the week before because of a paperwork snafu. Or that I yelled at my eight-year-old because he took too long to tie his shoes that morning. Mom of the year? Definitely not me.
Adopting does not qualify us for super hero status. It doesn’t mean I’m a better parent, or a better person. I hope that I don’t ever make someone feel that way.
So how do you respond when you hear these comments?