Thursday, October 23, 2008

Elders & Adoption

  A couple of years ago our cat had kittens (a whopping 8.) They were the cutest little things. One evening, the missionaries stopped in for a visit and we entertained them with kitten watching. About an hour after they left to go knock on all of our neighbor's doors, they came back with a little black kitten that looked to be the same age as ours. As they handed it to us saying, "We found this escapee down the block" we were pretty confused since it looked like it could be ours but none of our kittens were missing (or able to get that far yet) and the mama cat hadn't even gone outside since she'd had them.


We joined the Elders in walking around the neighborhood (their second time- if you think people are unhappy to have missionaries knocking on their door the first time you should really see the replay...) and asked all of our neighbors if they knew this kitten. Of course, no one did. So, we took the poor baby who couldn't be more than a week old and wouldn't be able to survive for long back to our mama cat hoping that she would accept it (although the missionaries were all excited about the prospect of her freaking out on it- 19 year old boys, you know.) Thankfully, as she lay there on her side with 8 kittens already fighting over a spot to nurse, she seemed to understand and made room for this little guy.

Tonight I was making breakfast for dinner & enlisted the kids to help out. I usually don't love making breakfast for dinner since the multi-tasking of stirring scrambled eggs, and flipping pancakes, and turning sausage, etc. isn't really my thing. I'm more the throw everything in the crock-pot or in a 13x9 baking dish so that I can do other things while it cooks & only have one pan to wash when it's over sort of girl. The kids are all getting old enough to hold their own in the kitchen though, so we threw caution to the wind and scrambled some eggs. As we cooked, someone said, "Remember that little kitten named Elder that Alley Cat adopted?" and the memory came back to me. It made me feel so sentimental thinking of how we named it Elder after the two guys in white shirts & ties that found it.

Then, I started thinking... why can't we humans be so ready & willing to take in kids that are lost / abandoned / orphaned? I've been trying to talk my hubby into foster care for the last few years. I suddenly felt inspired to go guilt trip him with a reminder of the willingness of our cat to serve the less fortunate. If she could love that kitten as her own just because we handed it to her, why couldn't we do the same? Sure, she only had to nurse it for 6 weeks and then we found all the kittens new homes and the mama cat got her freedom back, but...

10 comments:

  1. i love that you named the kitten elder.

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  2. You're bound to win out eventually! Even Dustin won't be able to hold out forever:)

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  3. You would make a great foster parent. What kid wouldn't like breakfast for dinner.

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  4. Keep working on him! I used to be a DCFS caseworker, and I still work with foster kids with my current job. Don't kid yourself that it's not hard, but it's also very rewarding.

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  5. Natalie, you'd be SO great as a foster Mom! They deserve a mom like you, even for a little while!

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  6. Thanks guys! As far as doing foster care though, it's doubtful that it will ever happen since:

    A. I think that those kids deserve to be in a home where they can really feel that they're wanted. I'm pretty sure that Dustin would be willing to go along with it if I pushed hard enough, but that doesn't mean that his heart would necessarily be in it and I'm pretty sure the kids would sense that. The last thing they need is to land in a foster home where the dad isn't thrilled that they're there.

    B. Assuming that I DID ignore that little detail & convinced DH to just give it a shot since who knows? maybe he would realize it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be once he tried it... what kind of wife would be that manipulative? Doesn't say a lot for our relationship if I'm willing to force him into things against his will just so that I can get my way.

    So... ya. Unfortunately, we probably won't be going there unless "somebody" has an epiphany and comes to me saying, "Hey honey, I would really like to do foster care." But you guys should totally consider doing it because somebody has to!

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  7. dh and i so have the heart to take in any child, race, deformity etc. FREAKIN bureacacy! I wish that I could just find a sibling set of 4 and adopt them in completely without any hassle and money should be a nominal thing. Why break willing people's bank accounts so that by the time you do adopt them you can no longer feed them or yourselves.

    I thought I could be a foster parent. but through much soul searching. I do not have it in me. I can't invest that much time and love into a person and then have them ripped from my arms. There is a time limit and these children can not stay with you indefinitely.
    They become a part of your family and it is so hard to break down their barriers and why should they allow themselves to feel the warmth and entertain the thought of having two loving parents who really care about them when eventually they will have to leave when they truly want to stay.
    It is so hard. I have heard the good stories of foster parents, and the good stories of foster children but they are few in comparison. Why can't we adopt our own, stateside children?? I'll tell ya why? it is easier to cut through the red tape foreign than it is state side. That just seems WRONG!
    so sorry I got onto a rant on your post!

    please please be a foster parent, a voice and make a difference!

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  8. Thanks for coming by my blog today!

    I think it's amazing for you wanting to foster, even if you think it may not happen. It makes me feel bad, cos I've only got 3 kids, and I feel like I'm stretched already. I wish I were less selfish like you!

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  9. I want to be a foster parent too! Josh says I'm crazy. I say "what's one or two more, we've already got a basketball team!!"

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  10. I remember Elder. That was around the time we first started hanging out.

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