Hear, hear.

I actually wrote a letter to Dear Abby about ten years ago about this... some woman had written in complaining about how rotten "her adopted son" was turning out to be... I bristled at that! No wonder he was acting out; I would, too, if I were constantly being reminded that I didn't REALLY belong. PULLEEEZE.

Two of my three kids joined us via the miracle of adoption, and they aren't any less MINE than the one who joined us the other way.

"Hear, hear!" is exactly the thought I had as well. Funny how that works, but I agree with you entirely and can't express it better.

Thank you!

Awesome, Beth.

One of my son's best babyhood friends was a little girl adopted by a single mom. The mom was blonde haired, blue eyed. The little girl, who is foreign, is dark skinned, has jet black curly hair, and big dark brown eyes. They looked nothing alike, but I've never seen a closer bond between a mother and child. Julianna even gave Thomas his first nickname- Toadie. When she tried to say "Thomas", "Toadie" was the closest she could come. It stuck. And I proudly became "Toadie Mommy". Our Thomas picked up on her cues, and started calling my mom "Mema". Julianna called her aunt "MeMe", and Thomas modified it to fit his needs.

The point is, we couldn't have loved Julianna any more or less if her Mom had given birth to her. In many ways... she did. She gave her life, and a home, and a family. And she got to CHOOSE her child. Being the egg donor doesn't make you a mother any more than being the sperm donor makes you a father. What matters is how you raise and love your children.

My real parents were the people who raised me. Similarly, Tara's real Daddy is the man who has been supporting her for the last few years.

I love my daughter, but the fact that she is biologically related to me would not stop me loving an adopted child as if she were my own, because that child would be my own as I see it.

I'm adopted, too, Beth. My parents had three non-adopted children before me. Throughout my childhood, my extended families on both parents' side would always referred to me as "the adopted girl, Kate." It was bad enough that I looked very different from my parents and siblings (they're all quite tall, blonde and with blue eyes while I'm short, brown and brown).

Always being reminded that I wasn't one of the "natural-born" kids ensured that I felt excluded, like I didn't belong anywhere.

It probably doesn't surprise anyone (besides them) that, having never felt like part of their family, I don't talk to a single one of them anymore.

I agree with what you said, Beth. Although it obviously depends on the family, as the above post by Kate shows.

My husband was adopted. But he is my in-law's child. They just didn't birth him.

I wish they would leave the children alone. What is it about the news that they want to make up some problem if there isn't one? Did anyone else's family get this kind of scrutiny?

The NY Times and the Democrats were on a fishing expedition to see if they could dig up some dirt on John Roberts. Harming a couple of kids while trying to gain political advantage is no big deal to the slimes.