Torn

Every year Reece's Rainbow has their wonderful Angel Tree fundraising drive - they feature all the younger kids with Down Syndrome, and raise thousands of dollars for the kids grants. Click here to learn more. While I love the Angel Tree, I'm also, as ridiculous as it sounds, jealous of it - how I wish there was something similar for the older kids and the "other angel" children. I am also torn - I see the pleas from people who are Christmas Warriors for particular children on the Angel Tree. I see the pleas from parents trying to raise money for their own adoptions. I see the pleas for the children who are even more desperately in need of a family than others. I want to help them all. But I can't. I am advocating for MY kids,the zeros, and I can't help THEM all, so how can I possibly help the other kids too ? Should I just give up and not help anyone ? How is it fair to donate to one and not the hundred of others ? How do I choose ? I am not rich, by any means, but I am able to donate small amounts on a pretty regular basis.

Last Saturday evening, I did my usual checking on Reece's Rainbow - going through all the profiles of the older kids, to see if any of them were zeros no more. I do this every three or four days - and recently things had really slowed down - only one or two children getting donations every few days. Baby steps. To my dismay, there had been zero new donations for the zeros, and I was pretty disheartened. I was ready to make a couple of donations myself, when I read a blog post by a mommy having a really hard time raising money for her own adoption. Torn. Help my zeros - or help this beautiful boy ?

You can read his mommy's blog here .

I chose to donate a little to Sergei's adoption fund, instead of to "my" kids. It wasn't easy, but I knew it was the right thing to do at the time.

Fast forward two days - again, I'm checking the "zeros" profiles, not expecting much after the last time. Boy, was I ever wrong !! There were NINETEEN less zeros !! I was in total shock (and tears) as I saw the names, saw that they now had a little something in their grant. Not huge amounts - but enough to say that someone cares, someone out there saw their face, read their profile, and decided that that child would be a zero NO MORE. I am so very thankful - if you donated and you're reading this - thank you so very much !! I donated to Sergei - I chose Sergei over "my" kids - and YOU chose "my" kids. How wonderful is that ??

Of the many blogs I read - there are a couple that tug at my heart strings just about each and every time I read them. One is responsible for me advocating for the zeros. Both are responsible for me being torn again. The first is Julia - she is currently advocating for some children on the Angel Tree - children that were on the Angel Tree last year, and have been passed over, not yet chosen for adoption. Children who deserve so much more. You can read her blog here -please head over and help out her kids. I did. I was torn again - but she won me over.

Then there's Kolina -

She is in desperate need of a family - you can read about her here - please feel free to help save her life this Christmas time. Please don't be torn.