Madonna's Kids

Well, fresh from her British divorce, it appears that American pop singer Madonna is on the verge of adopting another child from Africa. This time it is reported to be a four-year old little orphan girl. You may remember that Madonna adopted a boy not that long ago, from Malawi. (These African adoptions are not Madonna's only children.)

Save the Children - a British children's charity - is urging Madonna to "think twice." In a press release this week, Save the Children said they are in no way suggesting that Madonna hasn't done everything "by the book." But they said that "sometimes the book can fail." They went on to explain that these orphan children really should be kept in their extended families and in their ancestral communities.

This of course is not the first time an American celebrity has adopted from a third world country. (As of late, it seems to be quite the thing to do!) It is also not the first time such a celebrity has been criticized for adopting these children. I doubt that it will be the last.

So here's the thing. There are something like 30 million orphans in the world right now. I haven't seen hoards of people lining up from any country to adopt them. So Save the Children, I respectfully disagree with your conclusion. On the one hand, we can leave this four-year old little girl in her community in Malawi. She'll be raised in poverty, with poor nutrition, poor education and probably not have a long or fruitful life. Or she can become Madonna's daughter, where she'll get the best advantages the world can offer in terms of health, education, welfare and opportunities. Which do you think is better?

I've blogged before about the plight of Africans who remain in Africa versus those who get out. Generally speaking, those who get out of Africa - even if as descendants of slaves - are doing much better. They live better and they live longer. They are probably happier. And there is no doubt that they are more resourced and more capable because of it.

I don't know how good of a mother Madonna is. But generally speaking, I'd say, "Way to go, girl!" Rescue that child from a hard, impoverished and miserable life. God bless you for it. Now we just need to find about 30 million more people who care enough to stand in the gap for the world's unwanted kids.

Madonna's Divorce

It was devastating news for the world. What with the stock market, the banking industry throughout the west and everything else seeming to collapse - we still had this one bastion of hope to hold on to. And then it came ... the announcement that Madonna and Guy Richie are ending their nearly eight-year marriage. I mean, is there nothing stable in this world? Is there nothing we can count on?

Newspaper reports say the marriage has been over for a while, but both Madonna and her husband are shrewd enough to know that they needed to keep it together until her most recent tour launched. (She makes far more money from touring than from music sales.) And so they did. When Madonna was caught sneaking Alex Rodriguez into her New York hotel room at all hours of the night --- and his marriage crashed and burned, the noble Guy Richie jetted across the Atlantic to be seen dining with his wife in New York. Bless his heart, this man put on a good face and apparently made a valiant effort.

What do you suppose it was that caused this marriage to fail? Or did the marriage fail? Is it possible that this marriage actually accomplished everything they wanted it to? It is said that together they are worth more than US$525 million. It's doubtful that the divorce will drive either one of them into the poor house. What was the purpose of a marriage like this? Was it a business arrangement? Did Madonna need a husband to get another baby? (She had one by him and they adopted one.)

I wonder what it might be like to be married to a woman like Madonna. What would one say to her each morning? How would you make decisions? What would the priorities be in life? This is a woman who should be studied, in my opinion, by sociologists and psychologists. She appears to go through life in a constant state of reinvention. Notice that she is never old and tired. Her life is never scandalous. How does she avoid the drama and controversy? What secrets does she have that somehow help her walk through life that seems to blind-side many celebrities?

Madonna is just nine days older than me. I have watched her for years, and wondered about this person, this creature. She is an enigma. And so it continues. The next chapter in the life of Madonna will start to unfold. Eventually, she will be someone's grandmother. Can you just imagine!