An Orphan - Or Two! - Changed Our Lives

Warner Brothers recently released the horror film Orphan that suggests that it is more difficult to love an adopted child than a biological one and that orphans have something "wrong" with them (in the film, the adopted child ends up being a mass murderer). I find this offensive on so many levels it's hard to know where to start. However, this is not the first time I have been offended by Hollywood and it's certain not to be the last. Let it be said right here and right now that as far as this family is concerned, orphans are 100% lovable and worthy of love and they are every bit as "yours" as biological children. Our lives have been transformed by two little girls from the other side of the globe who have filled our home with love and laughter. Yes, our life is a bit more chaotic. Yes, we've made choices about trading certain things in our lives (sleeping in, having absolute freedom) for other things (four bright little eyes and two wild fros jumping in my bed with a big "Good Morning, Mommy!", the sound of little feet thumping on the wood floor as they race around the house) but our lives are richer for that decision - even on the tough days. If you have it in your heart to open your lives up to an orphan, God will do the rest. All it takes is being willing. We have never for one moment felt that our girls were not "our own", and they become more "our own" each and every day as we choose to love them and be a family. True, they are not the children born of our bodies and this was our choice. They are the children born of our hearts and that is what is most important. They were chosen. They are dearly loved. They are our precious children, our own. And that's that.