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So the Material Girl is going solo. Guy Ritchie and Madonna may be divorcing...

So, word on the street, well, The Sun, to be precise, is that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are to separate and divorce.  Sometime soon.  Allegedly.

The reasons why may never really be known but it is assumed that the adoption of baby David was the nail in the coffin of their marriage.

I'm not surprised.  

As any couple going through adoption will tell you, those social workers leave NO STONE UNTURNED.  It doesn't matter how much money you have to fast-track the system, ultimately, adoption will pull a strong relationship together or expose the cracks that already exist. And drive a big fat wedge between them.   Because that's the nature of having children - biologically or otherwise.

Which begs the question, is it better to go solo?

Parenthood like dog ownership has its glamorous moments.  Having a dog or a child about your person is like another accessory.  It's de rigeur.  But the flip side of that is that, ultimately, you're responsible for someone or something else.  And personal wealth doesn't come into it.

Madonna may be separating from her husband but if adopting more kids is her goal, there'll be no one to stand in her way.

The Mistress knows of several people going through the adoption process right now.  Some are wealthier than others and those with cash have taken the international route.  Those who are more UK-focused have tried to work the system that seems so strongly stacked against them.  If Madonna had taken the typical route, she and Guy would never have been able to adopt their baby in the way that they did.  Fact.  But when did the Material Girl ever do things by the book?

So while money, it seems, can buy you children, it won't necessarily secure you a husband to do the parenting.

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Madonna and (African) Child

So Madonna has adopted a one-year-old boy from Malawi. This is, of course, to be applauded; the boy still has his father but his mother died just after giving birth. Madonna, it is said, can give him a better life. I suppose, like all the other celebrity adoptive parents, Madonna and Guy Ritchie did not have to face the same hurdles that so-called normal folk do with social services. Did you know that adoptions from abroad are still fraught with difficulty? As anyone who has gone through the pre-adoption process (UK or abroad) will tell you, it’s a painful and tortuous process. Of course, if you get lucky, it’s all worth it in the end.

The Mistress has also got adoption on her mind but of the canine kind. She thinks that I would benefit from having a companion – er, no! Three’s a crowd, as her other half has proved so why would I want to replicate that little triangle 24/7? And in the evenings and weekends, four would definitely NOT work! Amazingly enough, it’s the one and only thing that her other half and I agree on; he has vetoed any more additions!

Of course, she regularly looks at all the Labrador rescue sites (particularly the Labrador Forum - http://www.labradorforums.co.uk); the Mistress knows what she likes and likes what she knows! You have to steel yourself for the rescue pages but the real tear-jerker is Many Tears Rescue (www.freewebs.com/manytearsrescue); this really is the last chance saloon for dogs, particularly pedigree hounds that have been used for breeding and no longer can produce the goods. Often they have never even lived in a house; imagine!

I really don’t want another dog around the place BUT even I can see that sometimes you need to open your heart (ok, I’ve got Madonna on the brain!) and realise that there are thousands perhaps millions of less fortunate souls (human and canine!) that deserve a second chance. Or indeed any chance!

After all, everyone knows “rescue dogs love you more” (apparently because they are SO grateful!). Obviously, I can’t speak for Madonna’s new son but I hope he’s ready for the rollercoaster ride that his new life will definitely be!

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