Not mine. Some good friends of mine are adopting a daughter from China. After working on it for two years, they received pictures of her from the Chinese government this week. They are so excited!

The little girl was born Christmas day, 2001 and abandoned four days later near the Culture Center. She was wearing a blue outfit with Donald Duck on it. There was a note on red paper (for good luck) saying that the parents were praying she would find a good family to take her in and that the whole family would have long lives.

China allows one child per family. Forced abortions are common. A few years ago there were four women from China asking for political asylum in the US since they already had one child and were pregnant. The government refused.

Chinese culture, I've been told, holds the responsibility for aging parents to lie with the son. If a family has no son, they will not have any retirement plan. So many people give up their daughters, who end up often being adopted into the US, in order to have a son.

I wonder what China will do in thirty years or less when there are five or more men for every woman. That will certainly curb their population, but I don't think the government wants it curbed that much. They're already trying for one baby for every two people. In a generation they will have cut their population in half. They should be partially through that generation already.

I am glad for my friends and their little girl. She will be gaining a great home and two wonderful parents and two wonderful big brothers (ages 12 and 6).