This post has been on my mind for a very long time, but the recent Superbowl coverage of two famous adoptees has pushed me to finally write it. Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers and Michael Oher of the Baltimore Ravens were both adopted. Colin as a 6 week old infant and Michael as a teenager. If you have seen or read The Blind Side, you are probably familiar with Michael's story.
In the pre-game interviews, one of the first questions asked of Colin was a leading one that basically made him say that he was adopted. He handled it quite well, and he responded with "being adopted was the greatest blessing of my life." Many people who has been touched by adoption probably feel the same way. I know we do.
Michael takes exception to how he was portrayed in the feel good, but somewhat unrealistic The Blind Side. In a recent interview, he states that he has always been a strong athlete and that he isn't the slow-witted gentle giant that the movie makes him out to be.
Where am I going with this? I guess I don't understand why the media places so much emphasis on adoption. I feel someone being adopted is like them having brown hair or loving pizza. Would you tell everyone you meet those facts? It is one fact about their lives, but it is not the most important one. It is undoubtedly part of who they are, but it is not the sum of their being.
Another frustration is when Colin's parents were introduced as his "adoptive" parents, almost as if this is somehow less of a parent. To me, a parent is someone who builds you up, takes are of you, and loves you more than life. Whether a child lives with biological or adoptive parents, I am pretty sure that ALL parents feel that way about their kids.
I am glad that adoption is becoming more out in the open, but I wish it didn't have to be the headline. In case you didn't notice, Michael and Colin are pretty awesome athletes and nice guys. Why isn't that the headline?
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