Vietnam & Operation Baby Lift

I was talking with some people at work about the idea of adopting from Vietnam and how it has different emotions attached to it for different people.

To us, we think of a beautiful country that has many children that need homes. The Vietnamese people are known for being very supportive of foreigners adopting their children. They are grateful for the opportunities that they will have being raised in loving homes. That is what we think of when we think of Vietnam.

Others though, when you say you are adopting from Vietnam, think of the War that was fought there. The lives that were lost there. The time in their lives that they spent there. I was speaking to a Vietnam Vet that I work with and you could tell by the look in his eyes, that it was a painful time for him. He commented on the rain and the heat and how that was a time in his life that he would never want to repeat!

Someone else was saying that it is so different for people of my generation (I am 36). To me, I don't think about the War much or the people that caused it. I respect what our troops did, but I don't "dwell" on it either. It isn't something that truly affected my life. I admit that I am NOT a history buff (married one though!) and I couldn't even tell you the exact dates of the War...I know, bad me! I could tell you that my godfather wasn't my Dad's best man because he was serving there in 1968, but he was home to baptize me in 1971.

The entire idea of North vs South is also something that I don't readily think of either. I admit that I have to think which is which. It is discussed though in adoption circles how many Vietnamese think less of those in the North. The thought is that the "pure" Vietnamese are in the South and that those in the North are "lesser" in some way. The greatest chance is that our child will be from the North and that is quite OK with us! The only effect that it will have on us is that we will try to fly into the South a few days early so we can do some sightseeing in the historical areas there before going to the North to get the baby.

I hope that we don't even offend anyone by our choices. I don't think that we can forget about those those who suffered and fought, but I hope that we can begin to see another side of this beautiful country. It might be HOT, but I hear it is beautiful!

This is a trailer for a movie that is coming out sometime soon.
It gave me goosebumps.