For a number of years...
Illustration
For a number of years, the adopted son lived gratefully in the home of a family where he
shared the love of the mother and father and two sisters and another brother. All of the
legal papers clearly identified him as adopted and as a legal half-brother to his sisters and
brother. They ate at the same table, and he shared the same bedroom with his half-
brother. They all went to the same grade school and high school. On many occasions,
they visited the grandparents of both the mother and the father. They took vacations
together and when he was old enough to drive he had access to the family car. There was
never a hint that one child was favored over the other. They even received the same kind
of discipline.
When the time came for college, the oldest sister went away to school while her younger sister waited a year before choosing another school. It was very expensive to have two in college at the same time and it was a noticeable stress on the parents. When it was time for the boys to go away to college, the adopted son felt that because he was adopted he should choose a community college that was far-less expensive and allow his brother to keep the family tradition and enter the school where the father had attended. In spite of all the family had done to treat the children the same, there was a feeling by the adopted son that he was not equal and fully qualified.
Then, to his surprise, the grandparents entered the picture and spoke first with the parents and then together with their adopted son. If necessary, the grandparents would also sacrifice part of their income to continue the family tradition of all their children and grandchildren being able to make their choice of the college they wanted to attend. The adopted son felt like he was no longer different or even adopted. He realized, in the grandparents' gesture, that he was not just tied to adoptive parents but that he was part of an entire family.
When the time came for college, the oldest sister went away to school while her younger sister waited a year before choosing another school. It was very expensive to have two in college at the same time and it was a noticeable stress on the parents. When it was time for the boys to go away to college, the adopted son felt that because he was adopted he should choose a community college that was far-less expensive and allow his brother to keep the family tradition and enter the school where the father had attended. In spite of all the family had done to treat the children the same, there was a feeling by the adopted son that he was not equal and fully qualified.
Then, to his surprise, the grandparents entered the picture and spoke first with the parents and then together with their adopted son. If necessary, the grandparents would also sacrifice part of their income to continue the family tradition of all their children and grandchildren being able to make their choice of the college they wanted to attend. The adopted son felt like he was no longer different or even adopted. He realized, in the grandparents' gesture, that he was not just tied to adoptive parents but that he was part of an entire family.
