a real parent to my own children...

Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial.

Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary.

Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child.

Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all your own.

~Rita Laws, PhD.

I saw this on Facebook and not only copied it to my status, but liked it so much I had to blog it too! Really, I hear variations on this theme all the time, and have on occasion become very annoyed by it. How can people really ask someone if the child with them is their "natural child", as if they might be an unnatural child instead. It is not like they are asking if they are normal, then the answer would be "depends on your definition of normal:)", but really natural, as if they might be fake like some women's other assets, which come to think of it noone seems to ask about directly, wonder why that is?!!

Am I a "real parent", this one irks me the most, do I look like a fake parent?!!! I am real enough to wipe my kids snotty nose, to wash all of their grubby clothes, and pick up their messy rooms, and wake in the dead of the night to comfort them, or administer more medicine for a feverish little imp. Does that all not make me their "real parent", is there anything else I could do to make myself more real, please let me know if I have missed anything!!!

"My own child" has such a negative and hurtful sound, as if just because of a lack of biology these children cannot possibly be mine. As if they are less for not being mine, instead of more, as if my own genetics are so far superior to anyone else's, not a very likely scenario I am sorry to say.

My adopted children, much like my biological child are my own, I am their very real parent, who doles out very real hugs, kisses and punishments all day, every day. My children are perfectly natural, in their own quirky ways, having not been born on another planet, created or brought into the world in any unusual way. Yes, they are adopted, and that makes them different, but since I do not live in a cookie cutter world, this is fine with me, they are wonderfully and perfectly made, and I could not love any of my children more than I do, they are mine, and I am theirs, and that is all that matters!