Adoption. I know you’re thinking about when a couple that wants to have a child chooses for one reason or another to take little one into their family that wasn’t born to them to love and cherish ’til death do they part. I love adoption. I think it is one of the most awesome things that anybody can do. Whenever I happen upon a family that has an adopted child, I ask about their adoption story, just like I ask Mommies about their birth stories. I swear, those are the best tales of love to me.

I have an adoption story of my own I’d like to share:

About 4 years ago (maybe 5?), I met a beautifully snarky young man in the mean streets of MySpace. He was smart, gorgeous to look at, one of the BEST writers I’d ever seen anywhere and gay as an Easter Parade. His name was Alex and I must admit, that I fell in instant e-Love with him. Before Alex and I even met in person, we became each other’s biggest fans. Our chat sessions were the stuff of legend and eventually graduated to amazing phone calls. This Mutual Admiration Society of Two had plenty hoes #jellis. Our combined Greatness shone like the finest cubic zirconia from the depths of the MySpace gutters. We had to take it offline, because the Internet could no longer contain us.

I organized a party for another friend of mine in DC for her birthday, and invited quite a few folks who were in our circle, but not in DC. Of course I invited this Special Young Man. He was living in New York City at the time and it was only a hop-skip and jump to get down here. He decided (after a bit of trepidation, I later found out) to come on down and the moment he appeared on my doorstep, I knew he was indeed a keeper. I flung my arms around him and embraced into my ample bosom, declaring him My Family. Oh, how I love My Alex.

This Amazing young man is now my nephew, the one I found on the Internet and subsequently adopted. Alex is Amazing because he has lived/survived a life that most folks couldn’t fathom. Alex is Amazing because he writes in a way that leaves folks experiencing every emotion that a human could have. Alex is Amazing because chases dreams and Red Velvet Cake and allows me to live vicariously through him. Alex is Amazing because of his Love for his actual family and for me, the Old Lady that decided to take him on without even asking for permission.

The truth of the matter is that I had to make Alex my family. It’s just too hard to refer to someone that I care about as much as I care about him as just “a friend”.

Alex is in Panama now, exploring his roots, teaching English, absorbing the culture and prolly messin’ around with somebody…with his fast tail self. Right before he left, he came to visit me and reassure me that he’d be OK going off on his next life adventure. Here’s a few pics from the last time we took to the streets of DC together:

Wooohooo! Look at us...being FAHN!

So adorable.

Nova was there too! I love when my important friends meet each other & get along. It's a wonderful magic.

"Me: You so beautiful. Alex: So are you. Me: I know."

Smooches!

Today is Alex’s birthday. I just wanted to tell him yet again, how important he is to me, how much I love him and how glad I am he agreed to be a part of my clan.

~pbg