In the previous post, I related a personal experience with “paying it forward.” I posed a question at the end of that post: How can we “pay it forward” to those who are adopting?

Here’s one example:
Our church’s adoption ministry periodically offers a series of workshops for those who are considering adopting a child. Parents who have recently adopted volunteer to share their experiences with the newbies.

It’s heartwarming to encourage the “newbies” as they learn about adoption and wrestle adoption-related issues, and then to watch as, a year or two later, they enthusiastically volunteer to teach the workshop. That’s paying it forward.

Readers, what ideas do you have for how to pass along encouragement you have received during the adoption process to someone else?

Bonus Stuff for readers interested in Seattle trivia:

The Seattle Coffee Klatch

How many coffee shops are there in the Seattle area?
Too many to count. On one stretch of highway near my home, I counted 14 drive-through stands in a 5-mile stretch. On Seattle’s Capitol Hill, I counted three Starbucks on one block (that doesn’t include the independent places).

How do all those coffee shops stay in business?
It’s called caffeine addiction, a malady that afflicts 98.6 percent of all Seattleites.

What’s your favorite coffee drink?
My current favorite is a 24-ounce decaf nonfat triple shot vanilla peppermint mocha with whip. Try saying that three times, fast.

Do you own stock in Starbucks?
But of course!

Do you accept Starbucks gift cards from your admiring fans?
Do you even need to ask?

Does it ever stop raining in Seattle?
Sometimes. This week, it’s been 80 degrees all week. Whenever it stops raining for more than 30 minutes, everyone runs out and washes their cars…and buys iced lattés instead of hot ones.

Why do Seattleites dress as if they’ve just stepped out of an Eddie Bauer catalog?
Our clothing, which is sold only in various hues of brown and black, prevents the coffee stains from showing.

Do Seattleites use umbrellas?
Heavens, no! We don’t wear Eddie Bauer rain slickers or waterproof boots, either. No one’s going to call us wimps.

Seattle was voted “America’s most polite city in a recent poll. Are Seattleites truly courteous?
Yes, except when we’re stuck in traffic (which is most of the time). Thank you very much for asking.

You sound like a really strange person. Are you hyped up on caffeine?
Nope. I only drink decaf. I’m just letting off steam.