November is National Adoption Awareness Month and Hump Day Ramblings There are many links out there for more information. For more information go to http://www.adoptioncouncil.org Adoption is something that hits very close to home with me. My younger brother and I both were adopted as infants. I was 6 weeks old and he was 8 weeks old. We do not have the same biological parents. Mother and Daddy never kept it from us that we were adopted. I can remember as a young child asking my Mother what it meant to be adopted. She would tell me that because my biological mother could not take care of me properly and give me all the love that she thought that I needed, that she gave me to a loving family who could give me all that she could not. She said that I was like the most beautiful rose in the garden and I was picked especially for her and Daddy. I do have a lot of people ask me "Don't you want to find your parents?" My answer is "No, I know who my parents are. My parents are Kenneth and Dolores. Now they may not be my biological parents, but they are the parents who taught me all my morals. My parents are who gave me unconditional love. My parents are the ones who held me when I had a bad dream or spanked my rear end or grounded me when I did something wrong. That's who my parents are. My parents never showed any difference between my older brother, me or my younger brother. The loved us all the same. Kim, my older brother, was my parents biological child. After he was born, Mother was told that she could not have any more children. She and Daddy wanted more. So they chose the road to adoption. I'm so glad they did. This was written by a Hospice of Metro Denver physician. I received this e-mail for Duckles and wanted to share it with y'all. I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends: I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cruising, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a Gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel. At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me." I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little. She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there. So she packed up everything she owned in the car She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there. I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?" This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people." It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong. Isn't it funny how God puts people at the right place and the right time. Makes ya wonder, doesn't it? I have found a mirror and I want to know where to get this. Can someone please help me out. Here is what it looks like? I have looked everywhere, but no luck. (don't you wish it was this easy, I do) ;-) SMOOCH, GROPE, HUGS & RUBS! FYI - After 3 e-mails sent to Mr. Hoity Pants, as Anndi called him, I still haven't heard one single word from him. What an arrogant pompous ass!