Adoption

As I was enjoying a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast, two phrases--”family values” and “in the best interests of the children”--popped into my mind. I looked at the happy faces of my two precious grandchildren, who were adopted a little over a year ago by my son and his partner. They had spent the first five and six years of their lives in foster homes, having been placed there at birth. Now at 6 and 7 they have a large extended family, including two doting grandmothers, aunts, uncles and cousins. They are surrounded by love.

The 7-year-old kept saying, “This is the second Thanksgiving we have had together!” The 6-year-old kept punctuating his meal with “I love you, Grandma. I love you, Uncle,” and so on until he included each person at the table. Can anyone seriously think these two adorable boys would have been better off in foster homes than in the secure environment in which they now live?

MARGY KLEINERMAN

Brea