On the subject of idiots

Sigh. Today at lunch i was reading a book on adoption at my desk, and my coworker asked what i was reading. She has been generally supportive of our desires to adopt, so i didn't think anything of reading one of the anecdotes in the book about how a birthmother and an adoptive family came to meet and agree on the adoption. It's a very sweet story!

Her reaction was anything but sweet. She says, "That's awful! Why would they want to just give away their baby!" i took a pedantic stance and said very slowly, "Because some people are too young, or too poor, or don't have the support of their families, to be able to raise the child themselves, so they choose to place the child for adoption." "But that's horrible! To just give their kids away!" "No, L, it's not awful. It's wonderful!" "But won't they be sad?" "OF COURSE they'll be sad! i'm sure it's the hardest decision they'll ever have to make. But they make the decision out of LOVE for the baby, because they want to give the baby the kind of life they won't be able to provide on their own. They put their own needs aside. It's not right for everyone, but it is right for some, and it is NOT awful!" "Well, i guess it's good for people like you who can't have your own kids."

Why do i bother with her? Grrrrrr...