What We Take For Granted: Screening

So, I currently feel as though I fall somewhere between a Criminal and an Adoptive Applicant. Those of us who apply for adoption (internationally) truly do have to dot all of our "i"s and cross all of our "t"s. Each time we complete another step of this journey called adoption, we are reminded not to take our children for granted. We are reminded that there is no value great enough to be placed on the life of a human. For most of us, having a child is simple in so many ways. It's a one-step process (sorry to get so technical).
We had our fingerprints taken yesterday at our local RCMP office. We now have to mail them off to Ottawa to be scanned. OTTAWA!! I never had to call them when we wanted to have Noah or Tait. I never thought I would create some sort of link between CSI and my life!
Next week, we will go to our notary to have a bunch of papers certified. These will include copies of our Life Insurance. Life Insurance? Surely no one looked in our files to see what kind of policy we had before the birth of Noah in 2005.
We made mention of the red tape involved with international adoption to the officer taking our prints yesterday. I find it interesting how even those who have not directly experienced the miracle of adoption, but have helped those seeking to complete it are aware of it's pricelessness. "Oh, it will all be more than worth it when you hold that child in your arms for the first time" Phil (our RCMPer) reminded us.
Don't get me wrong. Though there are days when I just want to be done with this process, I find comfort in knowing that we (as a country and as parents) are not allowing "just anyone" to adopt. This tells me that in our world of processed and pre-packaged, of here-and-now syndrome, and of consumerism, there are some things that cannot simply be grabbed. There are things we cannot just "charge" and wait to find out the total cost on our next credit card statement. There is a value of inexplicable sorts placed on the life of a child...as there should be.
I wonder what our next "i" will be. I look forward to it.
The experience of parenthood and the journey to adoption, it is not a Right. It is not something we earn through good deeds and through being "nice" people. This experience truly is a Privilege.