My wife was the catalyst in getting our children. We had been married six years and she had never gotten pregnant. At her insistence, we both went through a battery of tests. We never could determine why she never got pregnant. It just never happened.

At the time, my wife worked at City Hall as an executive secretary to the city manager. She got to know the political powers of the city at the time. As associate in her office told her about the Catholic Welfare Adoption Agency. The mayor at the time wrote reference letter to the agency. She immediately applied and was told the wait would be a minimum of two years.

One of the questions asked was would she accept any other race but Caucasian. She had always thought Asian babies were adorable, so put she Asian as a secondary race on her application. The nun, Sister Marylin, told her that very few Asian babies were ever put up for adoption.

Unbelievably, six months later, the nun called to say that she had a baby and that she would like to interview us both as prospective parents. I was not much help. I told my wife emphatically that I was not going through any annulment process, because I already had a daughter from a previous marriage. She was not happy with me. She had stated many times that she would do handstands naked, if it meant getting a baby. I stood my ground about the annulment and thought it was going to be a deal breaker.

When we were called in for the adoption interview, I explained my feelings. Much to my surprise, instead of being rejected because of that, she thought my attitude admirable, and thought that meant I would be a good father. She approved the adoption.

We found out later we got the interview was because my daughter is half Filapino. The Asian part of my wife’s application pushed it to the top of the long waiting list.

Three weeks later we were handed the most beautiful baby girl that I had ever seen.