This is for Maggie and Me

6 words. Alaska. China. 24. 2. Surprise. Plan. These words actually have 1 word in common- Adoption. I was born in Alaska and by a surprising turn of events my parents adopted me and helped me in their arms for the first time when I was 24 hours old. My cousin, Maggie, was born in China and after years of paperwork and planning, my aunt and uncle adopted her when she was nearly 2 years old.

I know many desire a child of their own, and it is an experience to celebrate when it happens. But, there are children who do not have parents of their own. Some are abandoned, some given up because of lack of care, some put up for adoption because of a law in a country while some have lost their parents to tragedy.

Thousands of these kids are put into some sort of system of foster homes, orphanages, or group homes on a daily basis. These systems give shelter, food, and clothing but are unable to give a home, guidance to life and the love a child needs.

Adoption give these kids the chance to feel special, imports. To feel that someone wants them and wants to love them. Infants are fairly easy to get adopted-I mean really, who can refuse those chubby little cheeks? Older children, however, can be difficult because they can remember where they've been, their biological families, what has happened. Does this mean they don't need a family and love? Of course not. In the news a couple months ago was the story of a woman who put her 7 year old son on a plane (she had adopted him a few month previous) back to Russia to annul the adoption because she felt he was an angry child. A few months is not enough time for a 7 year old to bond with his new mother or to even feel comfortable in a completely new country. A mother cannot annul her pregnancy because her infant is a sickly baby. These children need patience, care and most importantly love!

Adoption, if you can have children of your own or not, is an absolutely wonderful way to give a child what they need. I needed a family, I have an amazing family. Maggie needed a family and heart surgery. She has her family wrapped around her finger and is doing extremely well after surgery. But it goes the other way too. My parents wanted a child and they got one. My aunt and uncle wanted to add a daughter and they now have Maggie.

The common ground? Family. Family give a support system, gives memories, gives love, gives laughs, gives life. Maybe you didn't have the perfect childhood, maybe you don't currently have a family-this could be your choice or not, but shouldn't these children have a choice as well? Shouldn't they be given the change to know what it means to wake up from a nightmare to be embraced by loving arms of a parents to wants them? Shouldn't they have the chance to know what its like to come home from school and show a project to a family who will display it on the refrigerator with pride?

Children who are in this system of foster home, orphanages, group homes were not given a choice. Whatever reason they are in the situation, it is not because they wanted to be there.
Every child deserves a home, a family and love. Period.

**this was my persuasive speech.