One of the difficulties of moving to a new town is finding a good radio station (not that I was crazy about any particular station in Asheville). I like an eclectic assortment of music which only my friends Beth and Tracey seem to understand. Thus far, one station in Greensboro seems to fit me the most - 98.7 Simon. It's not perfect, but it suits my purposes.
So today I am in my car and they give a celebrity update. They tell how Jennifer Aniston is hanging out with Brad Pitt's mom and sister, and Brad's family likes her SO much better than Angelina. I don't really care about this state of affairs - there are far more important things to report about in the world today - so I just shake my head. The celebrity update is followed by an annoying commercial that has been on way too much of late. It is from the North Carolina Center for Reproductive Medicine. It is a heart-wrenching commercial meant to play on the emotions of women who have struggled with infertility. Having personally heard the stories of women, and lived through it with some, who have struggled with this - I could only become angry at such a tactic employed to make women become customers and give money (and lots of it) to the NCCRM. It made it sound as if there was nothing else on earth compared to having biological children - anything else would be less.
And then I thought of Angelina - an adoptive mom (like myself).
Yes, yes, Angelina's certainly not perfect. Billy Bob - ?!? EEEWWW! And I could probably list other things as well - but I don't know her, so it's not really my place to talk about any lack of judgment she may have had in the past. (would hate for someone to comment on my lack of judgment that I've shown at times)
Angelina is an adoptive mom - two beautiful children who would have spent lives in poverty, perhaps not even surviving to adulthood, if not for being adopted. They come from two economically struggling countries - Cambodia and Ethiopia. She has repeatedly said that she feels no need to have birth children when there are so many children who need homes. On top of this committment in her life, she has also given a ton of money to help these countries (and others) and given countless hours as a UN Goodwill Ambassador.
I'm sure Jennifer Aniston has given money and time to help others as well - but I can't help but like Angelina for giving herself - her life as a mother - to make the world a better place. I wish I could be like her - not just in how I look! - but in being able to adopt a number of children who need a home, and in giving money and time and setting up programs to help others.
I also wish that businesses out to make a buck would stop playing on the heart-strings of women, some of whom will not be able to have birth children - no matter how much reproductive technology or money there is. While honoring the gift of biological childbirth - let's have respect for all women and the children of the world - honoring that adoption is just as miraculous and wonderful and life-giving as biological childbirth.
1 comment:
yeah, sometimes she seem likes white trash and sometimes angelic. But the good girls, like Anniston, aren't the ones who push the envelope and make things happen. let's face it, Jolie has moxy. i'd rather be her than anniston any day, (sans sleeping with BBT).
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