"There are 12.44 million orphans living in India. Yet only 5000 legal adoptions take place every year."
These statistics are provided by the Indian Government Adoption Agency governing body CARA. But statistics rarely have anything to do with anyone's reason for considering adopting a child. Reasons generally are very personal and in most cases in India MEDICAL.
My journey of realisation of adoption started much early in life when I was in my teens. My school was around an hour and half away from my home. And being brought up in a middle class family meant using public transport to and from school. A part of that travel used to be in local trains in the MAHANAGAR of Mumbai with its population of 12.47 million. One of those days while hanging from the door of a running train, getting soaked in the rain, my simplistic teenage mind thought if only there were less people in this world we will all be better off. We will have sufficient resources and not have to fight for space in the train, or in the bus, or for a college seat. The moment was so profound for me that I can still recall myself in exactly the same situation every time I think about it.
Though the idea sounded very simplistic at that moment, it started off a chain of thoughts and observations which has continued for the rest of the two decades of my life. The children begging on the streets, my 22 year old driver having 5 children with one more on the way, child labour, even Sushmita sen adopting a child before marraige was one of the things that solidified my intent to adopt along the way. They say if your mind is focused on something you will see it apprear all around you. May be that was the case with me as well.
So when I met someone I thought I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I told him of my intent. He was open to the idea and didn't make too much fuss about a biological child either. That to me I think sealed the deal.
Sometimes I wonder about why the idea of adoption itself sits easily with some people while for others it shakes them to their very core in a negative way. Maybe it has something to do with tieing up our sense of self with procreation or with our future generation. Maybe my husband and I are more comfortable with who we are and not threatended by not choosing to procreate biologically. I might be wrong, but would like to hear from others on the same.
As life evolves, my spiritual leanings started to grow as well. Interest in reading brought about authors such as Dr.Brain Weiss, Michael Newton, even teachings of saints like the Buddha brought about a new understanding of soul contracts. But more of that in some other post. For now, it is important to know that I found myself "CALLED" to adoption in some strange way. I have never questioned it (though everyone else has a question for me on that).
So that was the WHY for me. Let me clarify it has nothing to do with any medical issue, either mine or my husbands. That does not go to say this is the case for other adoptive parents. This is how it is for us.
These statistics are provided by the Indian Government Adoption Agency governing body CARA. But statistics rarely have anything to do with anyone's reason for considering adopting a child. Reasons generally are very personal and in most cases in India MEDICAL.
My journey of realisation of adoption started much early in life when I was in my teens. My school was around an hour and half away from my home. And being brought up in a middle class family meant using public transport to and from school. A part of that travel used to be in local trains in the MAHANAGAR of Mumbai with its population of 12.47 million. One of those days while hanging from the door of a running train, getting soaked in the rain, my simplistic teenage mind thought if only there were less people in this world we will all be better off. We will have sufficient resources and not have to fight for space in the train, or in the bus, or for a college seat. The moment was so profound for me that I can still recall myself in exactly the same situation every time I think about it.
Though the idea sounded very simplistic at that moment, it started off a chain of thoughts and observations which has continued for the rest of the two decades of my life. The children begging on the streets, my 22 year old driver having 5 children with one more on the way, child labour, even Sushmita sen adopting a child before marraige was one of the things that solidified my intent to adopt along the way. They say if your mind is focused on something you will see it apprear all around you. May be that was the case with me as well.
So when I met someone I thought I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I told him of my intent. He was open to the idea and didn't make too much fuss about a biological child either. That to me I think sealed the deal.
Sometimes I wonder about why the idea of adoption itself sits easily with some people while for others it shakes them to their very core in a negative way. Maybe it has something to do with tieing up our sense of self with procreation or with our future generation. Maybe my husband and I are more comfortable with who we are and not threatended by not choosing to procreate biologically. I might be wrong, but would like to hear from others on the same.
As life evolves, my spiritual leanings started to grow as well. Interest in reading brought about authors such as Dr.Brain Weiss, Michael Newton, even teachings of saints like the Buddha brought about a new understanding of soul contracts. But more of that in some other post. For now, it is important to know that I found myself "CALLED" to adoption in some strange way. I have never questioned it (though everyone else has a question for me on that).
So that was the WHY for me. Let me clarify it has nothing to do with any medical issue, either mine or my husbands. That does not go to say this is the case for other adoptive parents. This is how it is for us.
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