People Are People

Jenny has been after me to post some articles on that blog so here's the first one...

Growing up in the late 80s it was clear who our enemies were. The Russians. Particularly that big steroid-filled blond giant from Rocky IV. Come to think of it, many of my ideas towards Russians we're formed from Rocky Balboa (and Boris and Natasha from Rocky & Bullwinkle). Plus there were the dozens of articles in our history books about the godless communists during the Cold War. If you would have told me then and I would one spend 3-4 weeks in the heart of Russia trying to adopt a boy named Sergey Romanovich Zheltysher, I would have thought you were crazy.

But here I sit. And you know what? The Russian people aren't that bad. In fact, they are quite nice. Overall, they have been very kind and warm towards us. They've done everything possible to make our stay comfortable and have sought to help us whenever asked. I sat in the restaurant last night looking around at the tables beside us. I saw a large family laughing and having a good time, a young couple on a date, a couple with a young child and a group of men in suits & ties discussing business. And I thought...people are people. Take away the strange language and the same exact scene would unfold in any restaurant in America.

God created all of us and within his creation he imbedded certain morals and goodwill. Sure, we're all sinful and contain a selfish nature, but there's also a strain of goodness in all of us. Regardless of our politics, religion, nationality or system of government we're all basically the same. We're people. Sure, we have different customs and our values are shaped by different cultures, but deep down, people are people.

So to Vitaly, Olga, Ludmilla, Daria, Sveta, Oleg, Lena, Atrem and all the other fine people in Russia who've stepped us through this adoption process, thank you being so kind and helpful to us! And thank you for dispelling many of the myths about the Russian people I was taught as a child. Perhaps it's time for another Rocky movie to show the other side of Russia.