Love Is Thicker Than Blood

“Our family never shared the same last name,
but our family was a family the same.
And they say blood is thicker than water,
but love is thicker than blood.”

This is from a song composed and written by country singer Garth Brooks, which never fails to bring tears  to my eyes. It’s about his family—how his parents each had children of his/her own when they married, then together, they had Garth. Theirs is a home of his, hers, and ours. But in that family, the children were never allowed to use the words “half brother” or “half-sister.” They were all told to regard each other as brothers and sisters. This brings to my mind the many adopted children in our midst, who came into parents  not related to them by blood. These children grow up with the stigma (except for those who were told early in their childhood) of being adopted.

Adoption is a recurring theme in the stories that I write for children. Unfortunately, all of them (except one that won a Palanca Award) keep being rejected by publishers. That, however, doesn’t stop me from writing more.

The idea of adoption stirs me. If not for circumstances that got in the way, I would have loved to take care of needy children whose parents are unable to bring them up.

That’s probably why I continue to write about the issue—to encourage adoptive parents to bare the truth to their adoptive child early on. I think it is a marvelous thing for a child to know that he is loved, even if he didn’t come from his adoptive mother’s womb.

I have seen, ringside view, how a hidden truth can ruin the best of families.

Man says, “Blood is thicker than water.” But our God of grace has demonstrated that love is thicker than blood.

Garth Brooks speaks of this love in this song he sensitively crafted, some parts of which I now quote:

“And if blood is thicker that water
Then what are we fighting for
We’re all sons and daughters
Of something that means so much more

“I see it on my TV but I can’t understand
Lord, it’s one big contradiction to me
How in God’s name we love thy neighbor
with fists in our hands
And kill each other when we just don’t agree

Why can’t we see the walls we can’t see through
And see what God’s been telling me and you
(and that is) Blood is thicker than water
Oh, but love, love is thicker than blood”