Like Christmas Morning? Not at all - 4th May

     Having the crossed the undaunting finish line of approval we have quickly moved into the next phase of the adoption process, matching. The matching process is really interesting, in some respects it reminds me of Christmas morning or when the postman delivers a package which is a gift from somebody. On Christmas morning there are gifts there, you know that they are for you, the job that remains is to open and enjoy. Some gifts are fun, others are helpful, some need to be returned, some may not be your taste, and there are gifts that are just right. You can probably remember opening up one of those heart-felt gifts that means so much or what you have been desiring greatly but would not purchase for yourself.

     Why is the matching process a bit like this? For about 8 days out of the last 9 business days we have opened up at least one email that has a profile of children who are waiting to be adopted. This means that they are on the national register and our agency has access to their files and contact details of the social workers/local agencies who are responsible for the children. We get emails with names in the title, at that moment Rebecca and I are like 'do we have time now to open it up, should we wait till later' or if we are not together we might open it up on separate computers and talk over the phone. Getting potential life-changing emails like these is extremely exciting, the children being presented to us, the cute pictures, the often distrurbing life-stories which the little lives carry.
     It is near impossible to wait to open up the document, then to open up the attachment, and then to write back to the agency with our thoughts. It's a bit like opening up a present, except for one huge difference.
 

This quote by a young lady living in Uganda who is/has adopted at least 12 children maybe more by now

These are children, these aren't toys, clothing or the latest kitchen appliance. They are kids, they are alive, if they are old enough they are desiring a home to call home for life. It's not just another email, it is worthy of careful consideration, time-taking word-by-word reading, it's possibly our future written and seen before our eyes. So I suppose it's not like just another package or even the most thoughtful, loving, specially wrapped Christmas present, those emails are much more than that. They are profiles, a small usually undetailed window into a child or children who are looking for their own Christmas present or surprise parcel through the post... a loving life-long family.