I should have told her to shut up

In our adoption journey (as in traumatic 3 years) I have rarely run into anyone who was not supportive, kind, curious and pleasant when the subject came up. Until yesterday. We were invited to attend a birthday party for a little boy who our family is close to. The party was awesome. They had a bounce house, a pony cart giving rides and a train that drove around the neighborhood giving rides. This was the kind of kid's birthday party that dreams are made of!

We knew most of the people there. In fact, everyone but one couple and their little girl. I had never met this couple before. My friend Kim and I were standing in the kitchen when she asked me about how Ahren's final paperwork was coming. As I told her, this other woman chimed in asking where we were adopting from. I told her Guatemala and she proceeded to tell me that Guatemalan adoptions had all been stopped because people were stealing babies and forcing poor women to sell their babies. I started to explain that although there have been some problems, it is actually the Hague that has caused adoptions to be suspended for now. (I said this after I picked my jaw up off the ground) She went on informing me of the terrible problems and then told me they adopted thru a local agency and it only took 6 weeks from the time they were approved until they had their newborn in their arms. My poor friend was trying to get a word in edgewise at this point, and I just said 'well our adoption has been the opposite end of the spectrum and we have been in process for 3 years'. I then walked out of the door and away from the house before I burst into tears. 

What I had wished I said was , 'Jane you ignorant slut' a la Saturday Night Live, and then set her straight. I wish I had told her that although she had no doubt read the articles in the news, that there is so much more to the situation in Guatemala. I should have told her that for every 3000 kids that get adopted, 30,000 die from poverty and disease every year. I should have told her that although we have had a long hard adventure, we would not trade it for anything because God led us to these children. I wish I had said that ore than setting out to just add a child to our family, we felt drawn to the children of Guatemala and to making a difference in not only 2 lives, but in many many lives. 

Aw heck, I should have just slapped her.....

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Added later.

OK, maybe I over-reacted. My nerves are raw, but whose wouldn't be. We have been fighting for so long, have hurt in ways others who haven't been there can't imagine, and she says it took less than 6 WEEKS to get her baby! It's not her fault. The pain is mine. The raw emotions are mine. The path we chose is our own. Still, we wouldn't change anything. Yeah, I wish it had been easy. I wish I could be obliviously happy and a sufferable know-it-all, but our journey was different. We have learned and grown in ways I never thought possible. Who knew that adversity really was a good thing? 

Obviously, I need to work on my reactions to others. Sigh. Sigh. Siiiiighhhhhhhh.

Then again....oh how much I need to therapeutically slap someone and she did seem to volunteer!!!