Articles Book I - Pg 66-180 (1977) - triadoption

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litti, Alc.rnitdi9r, ntld Dltnirc' Grcct~:/hrt, 39, isn mrrslrlln~tf
. . fi~rll~cCiti:~~trs'Ct~aliliott/orCl~ildret~. Heisnlson~tnc/or, fl
arlrsicinir, ntld nt1 nvid ir~doorgnrdcttcr. Hc is 11lnck nsnre/tis
lun nrlollltd sotis: Alexnr~dcr, lot ntld n /in//, nrtd Dttntte,
rlhrr. Tlt~y littc it1 fl cottlorlnbly fitntisllcd fi~urllr-finr
d~tplt~x it1 n Inrxr n/mrlaroil cotr~plcx.
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titnt- I I ~
~~~tblir.~til~n, c~rl~td
IIIII IN* ~ ~t~~~~t~~;r.~l~tlt.d.
already developed a (sunlcrvhat grudging) liking and :
for each other. Jim has even gotten reports froin I
scllool that they now to each other as "my
brothcr."
&fore being adopted, cacll boy hid grown up in a /
different foster home with different experiences. A\- ,
exander, reticent and shy, had arrived in a stale of '
physical neglect, wit11 worn-out, ill-fitting clothes and
a freshly shaved head. "I-lis foster parents had done it 1
Right now, Jim Green's biggest problem is the
rivalry between his two sons: Alexander, whom he
adopted ttvo years ago; and Duane, rvlio arrived in
September. "Alexander sincerely wanted a brother,"
says Jim, "but he didn't understand the h~ll impact
just before he left, hoping to make him unattmctivc '
enough for miB to change my mind. After all, I was i ;
taking away their sullporl check." i
In cc~ntrast, Duane's foster parents had taken ex- j
Duanc wtluld haveon his life. At first he really ovrrdid trelncly good care of him. "1.1~ arrived with very nice i
the big brother bit-lying Duane's shoes, combing his clothing and a taste for calf's liver," recalls Jim,
hair." One day the two boys were sitting at the table,
and Alexander wassaying, "My father this,"and "my
father that," when Duane interrupted: "You keel1
saying your father, your father. You talk like I don't
live here. Ije's otrr father."
Then the conipctition and the blorvs began-much
of it initialed by a jealous Alexander. But Jim, a firm
disciplinarian, refused to take sides, and ~hclnlyshave
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'Di~on~ (nnl his rral nami-), \v111,si*odcrplion $\.as no1 I#n.~ti,td ol llw
"whcrcas Alexander's cravings leaned more toward
bologna. At first Alexander couldn't believe that he , l
wouldn't bc moved aviii, and once during an argu- :
nlent, he thrcatcncd lo run ;twny, until I told him he'd
have to leave Iris new winter coat behind-but nothing I
drastic. Duanc, on the other hand, really seems lo j
understand that tllisishispcrmancnt homc. l-le'svcry
verbal nnd demonstrative, and he's helped Alexander !
~CCOIIIC more olllgoing."
Ni~itllcr of Jim's cliiltlren suffers from scrinus inen-