We were sitting in the stands at one of Syd's MANY hockey games this week when I overheard a family teasing their son who looked about 4. Now I didn't hear the beginning of the "fun" so I'm not sure what started the conversation.
Dad: You must be adopted.
Mom: Yeah, we just found you on the side of the road
wrapped up in a blanket.
Dad: Yep, right on the side of the road.
Just left there.
Nobody wanted you.
After they saw me looking at them in, not a friendly way,
they stopped "teasing" their son.
Maybe they thought I was bitch for listening in
and giving them the evil eye.
Maybe they saw the cute little Chinese boy sitting on my lap and realized that the 2 red heads can't possibly be his "real" parents.
Maybe they just didn't realize that what they were
saying was just not nice.
Or maybe I'm reading into the whole thing too much.
I'm sure when people make comments like that just don't realize that the kid sitting next to them may have been left wrapped in a blanket on the steps to a police station on a spring day in March.
Or that his big sister may have been left wrapped in a blanket,
in a cardboard box at the entrance to a market on a cold January day.
I'm so glad that Syd wasn't sitting there because that would have hurt her so much to hear people joking about what her reality is. I'm glad that Alex is too little to understand what they were saying.
I know that I could have treated this as a learning experience for the
family and gently explained to them why their comments could be
hurtful. But I was so mad that I wouldn't have been nice or gentle and I
probably would have cried because I cry when I'm really mad.
So maybe it was better that I said nothing at all.
I would have been sooooo mad! Probably a good thing that you just gave a look :) It is so hard to hear people make jokes that are offensive and just plain mean. I am adopted too and it drives me crazy when I hear people tease their kids about being adopted, like it is a horrible thing. I feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteCame here via My Life and Kids. I think your look probably said it all, but it makes me sad that they do not realize how very hurtful those kinds of comments are.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I cry when I am really angry, so I related to that part of your post.
People can be really insensitive. I'm glad they stopped when they saw you looking. Maybe they realized they were being jerks. Some people are just a little clueless about life. Sounds like these folks fell into that category. Glad you have a blog where you can vent your frustrations.
ReplyDeleteFound you via My Life and Kids forum.