An adoptive hope chest.

Are you familiar with the concept of the Hope Chest? For all things there seems to be a wiki, so... Why do I bring it up? Well, for many years I have had an interest in adopting. One of the many benefits offered by the company I am going to work for is an adoption reimbursement program (partial). In contemplating accepting the job offer I admit the idea of a company who supports adoption in such a pointed way was deeply encouraging. I know it is an expensive process. Though I've heard rumors that the whole having kids enterprise is a big money issue.

Anyhow. In my years of contemplating I've developed a bit of Blue Car Syndrome and occasionally toy with the idea of collecting items for an adoptive hope chest. Books, music, movies and objects that are about adoption stories. Something that would show my kid how special they are and that even though I didn't give birth to them it doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about them for a long, long time.

A few of the items I have in mind:
Meet the Robinsons (movie) - about a young boy who wants a family more than anything and has to travel to the future chasing a bowler-wielding maniac to learn about his place in the world










Martian Child (movie) - a widower pursues adoption of a young boy with special needs: he believes he is from Mars and fails to understand human culture











Despicable Me (movie) - a super villain, Gru, adopts a trio of ridiculously adorable kids as part of his plot to out-bad his super-villain competition. Turns out Gru is a sucker.

The Bean Trees (book) - a story of a young woman setting out on her own for the first time and getting handed a Native American baby in a dark parking lot. The story follows her evolution from young, spitfire woman to falling in love with this kid.

Pigs in Heaven (book) - sequel to The Bean Trees where Taylor (the mom) and Turtle (the adopted child) are confronted by the legal system of the Cherokee Nation, threatening to separate the two








There would be/will be other things.