Heart

I've had orphans on the brain of late. And I am not too sure where those thoughts will eventually lead, but I am not alone. A couple of nights ago, Erin headed down this road less travelled. She was full of questions about orphans and orphanages. She has several friends who are adopted, and some were only brought into their forever families after years of waiting. Erin asked about what happens to teenagers who live in orphanages. Rather than blow her little mind with the horrors of aging out, I simply said that kids of an adult age are no longer able to live in the orphanage. She pressed on wanting to know what education was given so the kids who mysteriously "aged out" could get good jobs. There was sheer outrage that the hypothetical teen orphans were not given any money, either.

Since the missy was so curious, I asked if she might be interested in our family perhaps helping out with orphans or maybe serving short-term in an orphanage together at some point. She was intrigued with the idea of working in an orphanage and caring for the kids. Her response was, "If we work at the orphanage, do we get to take one home?" Oh. No, baby. People who do not yet have a home of their own are not party favors. And international adoption is a long process that is very expensive. She asked just how much was meant by, "expensive". Not one to dodge an earnest question (and not wanting her to ask any of our friends how much their kids "cost"), I responded with the rough estimate of thirty to fifty thousand dollars. Which was met with a heart-wrenching, heart-broken wail followed by my daughter sobbing.

Because she will never be able to earn enough money to "buy her teenager baby". This eight-year old child has saved $22. She gives a percentage to our church. Knowing how much of her money is left, she asked if I would put her $19.80 into her savings account toward her teenager. I have no idea where all of this came from, but I confess to being both perplexed and intrigued. And floored by my daughter's heart.