Adoption on TV

6/1/10 Television, two lamps, and a box of other highly sale-able items, donated

The first day of Downsizing Challenge month #11 and I am reduced to typing this on my iPhone, since our shaky Internet connection in our rental apartment has decided to take the night off. I get no nights off from the challenge, however, so I shall try my best to make a go of it on a 3-inch screen using only my thumbs.

Some things just turn out to be harder than they should be.

Here's a better example.

Why is adoption, for a loving and committed couple, a cost-prohibitive undertaking? I agree that anyone assuming responsibility for a child should be able to demonstrate financial responsibility, but the costs of adoption far exceed that. $20,000, $30,000, even $50,000 to adopt a child? That's abusive in and of itself.

Joanna and I have talked about the possibility of adoption and even been to an information session about it, but I have to admit that the costs make me all but rule it out. Should giving a child a proper life of love and opportunity really be based on someone's access to tens of thousands in excess cash?

My colleague Jeff has not let such moral arguments sidetrack him and his family from sharing their love. On two teachers' salaries, he and his wife have already adopted one daughter from China and are in the process of adopting another. Unsurprisingly, their bank account doesn't stretch as far as their hearts, so they have had to get creative about raising funds.

This weekend they will be having a benefit yard sale to support the cause, so Jeff asked the teachers at school to look around for possible sale items.

My most prominent donation was our giant old TV which, while perfectly functional, was not worth taking to Denver since it would have used up half the space in the POD.

I realize that the things I gave Jeff today aren't likely to net him very much towards the adoption goal, but maybe they will help a little.

Of course, thankfully, there are people in the world like Jeff, who aren't going to let the whole money thing stand in the way of doing the right thing.

I just think it's a shame that it has to be an issue in the first place.