Small Town Welcome for Adopted Baby Girl

I've always loved the stories about my adoption. When I was a little girl, my dad would tell me how they got the call sooner than they expected, and how they had to stop and buy diapers, bottles and clothes on the way to get me from the hospital. My mom, dad, big brother and my grandmother all drove from Stephenville, TX where my grandparents lived, to Ft. Worth, TX to pick me up! My dad would say that they picked me out special from all of the babies in the hospital. Of course, as I grew older I realized that part of the story was a very sweet addition. When I started asking more detailed questions, my mom said that my birth mother wasn't able to take care of me, and so she gave me to a family who could. My mom also told me that being adopted was special, and that I should always be thankful, and I am.

After I grew up and had a family of my own, my dad told me how they paid for my adoption. I was born in the evening on December 30, 1963. My parents received a phone call on New Year's Eve morning that there was a baby girl ready for them. Not expecting the call quite so soon, they had to come up with the money so that they could bring me home. I need to give you a little history here so that you get the whole picture. My dad was a science teacher in Sudan, TX. He also drove the school bus. Sudan is a very small town close to Lubbock, TX. My dad called the banker in Sudan to request a loan, and told him that he needed the money immediately. The banker asked if he had any collateral, and Dad said, "Just my name." So the banker asked my dad why he needed the money, and my dad told him that they were trying to adopt a baby girl and they were going to pick me up on January 2. This is my favorite part - The banker said, "Well, go and get her, we'll figure it out when you get home." Isn't that awesome? I love it! I also have an old, yellowed newspaper clipping from the Sudan newspaper telling all about the baby shower that the wonderful, gracious people gave my parents. The clipping says "Little Miss Sharla Kay, recently adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Nelson, was the honoree at a shower on Saturday afternoon at the home of..... Just writing about this makes me emotional, I've been so blessed.

There is just no way to describe how thankful I am for my life. But what breaks my heart, is that you don't hear about adoption anymore, unless it's for an animal. We need to get the message out there that adoption is, and should be, the only other option. So many couples aren't able to have children, and want children. Children are gifts from God, they are not a choice, they are a life. When did we get so off track? How did the people in our country become so selfish that someone would design special pink tennis shoes for Wendy Davis so she could filibuster against life in the Texas Senate? So she could filibuster to keep abortions legal after 20 weeks? Please, God, help us bring back the people who will say, "Go and get her. We'll figure it out when you get home."