Happy

Don’t you love a good dossier?  I didn’t even mind putting this one together (and did I mention I had it assembled, complete with notarization and state certification, within 24 hours? you could say that experience has paid off).  With Oscar, I was so green I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, so I just collected my documents, stumbled through the certification process and sent them off.  I’m sad that I didn’t even take a picture of my stash of documents. 

Last summer I found myself annoyed at the level of involvement of third parties in my attempt at adding to our family.  What do you mean I need a notarized letter from my bank that I am financially secure enough to adopt?  This time, though, I was just thankful that people were willing to be involved in this.  And incredibly thankful for all of the little things that people have done to assist me.  Like the lady in Texas who got me my criminal clearance letter in an afternoon (instead of the month it usually takes), the deputies at the SF sheriff’s headquarters who let me into the building on a holiday so I could track down the nice officer who was working and told me she would do my local clearance for me since it was for an adoption, the nice parking attendant guy who didn’t charge me $28 for the half hour I spent getting my clearance, the guy at my bank who actually came to my office to sign my bank letter so we could use my notary and not theirs and save the cash for authenticating two signatures ($50!), the guy taking my photo who took a number of shots since he wanted to make sure he got a great one so the people looking at my picture would give me a cute baby (not sure this is how it works, but I appreciated the sentiment!) and each and every person who wrote me a letter of recommendation, other clearance letter or home study update (all of which had to be notarized and were all accomplished in a day).  Oh, and the lady at the Secretary of State’s office who certified my documents while I waited and didn’t make me come back – bless you nice lady.

I think sometimes those of us who have adopted have mixed feelings about the process.  Especially if we have been touched in some way by corruption (either by the reality of it in our adoption (not my case I believe) or the allegations of it that taint us all).  It’s hard sometimes to see the forest for the trees on this.  But when I told everyone why I needed these documents, I was reminded of my own enthusiasm for adoption through seeing their reactions.  I’ve let myself become somewhat cynical about adoption and that is a shame.  While I abhor the fact that there is a need for adoption, adoptions themselves should be a great thing. 

The thing I love about the dossier process is that the PAP actually plays a part in it.  It’s the one thing you control.  The moment you send it in, though, you relinquish almost total control over the process.  Here’s hoping the rest of it goes a tiny bit as soothly as the dossier process…

July 13, 2009 - Posted by Oscar and Etta's mom | Adoption, Ethiopia