Chosen
I'd like to tell you a story. It's a pretty amazing one that has not just one, but two incredible heroes in it. Here goes.
Once upon a time there was a young man who was dating a young woman. She was a little odd and was not the most faithful thing in the world, but still he liked her even with her brand of crazy. Out of no where she became pregnant. This young man knew that there was very little chance that baby was his, but he also knew that that little baby was going to be his no matter what. He chose to be the father either way. So he married the young woman, and soon the day was upon them and they welcomed a little baby girl into the world. She became his whole world and he would do anything to make sure that she was raised well and know without a shadow of a doubt that she was loved more than anything else. It wasn't long after that the young woman left. She couldn't handle being a mother and she was trying to hide a secret. Little did she know that the young man couldn't care less about her secret. He just wanted to love his little girl.
The young man became a single dad while working and finishing college. After he graduated, the two moved to a small town where he raised the little girl as best he could on his own. She was loved deeply and they made so many amazing memories that the little girl would cherish forever. But they didn't feel that their little family was completely whole just yet.
God had a big surprise for them. A sweet woman who would make their lives so much brighter than it already was. Someone who would choose to be that little girl's mommy. The only mommy she had ever really known and the one she would come to be the very best of friends with in the years to come. This woman was such a blessing, and a prefect fit. But things were still not quite complete. The young man and woman decided to have a second child. The little girl was overjoyed at the idea of a sibling. Not long after they were blessed with a baby boy. Now their family was complete. While things were not always perfect, they were perfectly fit together by God.
The little girl grew up, but she always had questions about her biological mother. Ones she couldn't seem to put to rest no matter how hard she did her best to ignore them. The young man and woman, now Dad and Mom did their best to help, but the little girl didn't talk to them as much as she should have about the questions she had. Eventually the little girl married and had two little ones herself. Dad, Mom, and Little Brother were beyond excited! They were a growing family yet again.
One day the little girl decided to take a DNA test just for the kick of it. She didn't know she was opening Pandora's box. If she had, she would never have dared. The fateful day for the results came and she discovered her biological mother's secret. She wasn't her father's child.
The little girl's world shifted in that moment and began to spin seemingly out of control. Questions began to race. Did her Dad know? Did he care? What would this do to them and their relationship? Should she call the crazy young woman out after 28 years? Should she pretend it never existed? Who was her biological father? Did it matter? What? When? How? Why had no one ever said anything? If they suspected, why wouldn't anyone mention it? But the most important question she had was "How do I tell my Dad without him getting hurt?" Above all, even with her life spinning crazily, the only thing that mattered to her was to keep her Dad and Mom from getting hurt.
Finally after watching his wife stress for weeks, her husband asked her to let him handle it. To let him help take the burden of the secret she now felt she was keeping. When her husband told her Dad all that they knew, her Dad simply shrugged his shoulders and said "But she is my daughter. I don't care about the rest. I chose her and I would do it again. She has been a blessing to me." Her Mom put it so clearly for the little girl. "It wouldn't be any different than if we had adopted you honey," she said lovingly. And with that, the little girl's life long questions, and her fears of being a burden no longer existed. She had a family who loved her no matter how she came to them. But more importantly, they were her family and she loved them all the more for choosing her.
This story isn't just a random story I made up. It's the story of a man who is so amazing he chose to give up so much for a little girl he wasn't even sure was his. One he chose to be not just a father to, but a beloved Dad. This is the story of his courage and love. This is the story of an amazing woman who chose to be not just a cliché stepmother, but a true loving Mom to a lost little girl who did not always make it easy to love. The story of her strength, love, and compassion. This is the story of a family who withstood the test of a life and is all the stronger for it. This is my story. I am that little girl. Those two heroes are my parents, and there is not a luckier girl in the world than me.
I don't tell this story because I'm expecting anything out of it. I tell this story because I want to shout to the world what amazing parents I have been blessed with. I want my story to inspire others to be like them. To choose to love like them. I tell this story because they deserve the recognition of being so incredible and this is the only way I know how to best pay them tribute. This is Our Story and I wouldn't change a single bit of it for all the universe and it's riches.
Once upon a time there was a young man who was dating a young woman. She was a little odd and was not the most faithful thing in the world, but still he liked her even with her brand of crazy. Out of no where she became pregnant. This young man knew that there was very little chance that baby was his, but he also knew that that little baby was going to be his no matter what. He chose to be the father either way. So he married the young woman, and soon the day was upon them and they welcomed a little baby girl into the world. She became his whole world and he would do anything to make sure that she was raised well and know without a shadow of a doubt that she was loved more than anything else. It wasn't long after that the young woman left. She couldn't handle being a mother and she was trying to hide a secret. Little did she know that the young man couldn't care less about her secret. He just wanted to love his little girl.
The young man became a single dad while working and finishing college. After he graduated, the two moved to a small town where he raised the little girl as best he could on his own. She was loved deeply and they made so many amazing memories that the little girl would cherish forever. But they didn't feel that their little family was completely whole just yet.
God had a big surprise for them. A sweet woman who would make their lives so much brighter than it already was. Someone who would choose to be that little girl's mommy. The only mommy she had ever really known and the one she would come to be the very best of friends with in the years to come. This woman was such a blessing, and a prefect fit. But things were still not quite complete. The young man and woman decided to have a second child. The little girl was overjoyed at the idea of a sibling. Not long after they were blessed with a baby boy. Now their family was complete. While things were not always perfect, they were perfectly fit together by God.
The little girl grew up, but she always had questions about her biological mother. Ones she couldn't seem to put to rest no matter how hard she did her best to ignore them. The young man and woman, now Dad and Mom did their best to help, but the little girl didn't talk to them as much as she should have about the questions she had. Eventually the little girl married and had two little ones herself. Dad, Mom, and Little Brother were beyond excited! They were a growing family yet again.
One day the little girl decided to take a DNA test just for the kick of it. She didn't know she was opening Pandora's box. If she had, she would never have dared. The fateful day for the results came and she discovered her biological mother's secret. She wasn't her father's child.
The little girl's world shifted in that moment and began to spin seemingly out of control. Questions began to race. Did her Dad know? Did he care? What would this do to them and their relationship? Should she call the crazy young woman out after 28 years? Should she pretend it never existed? Who was her biological father? Did it matter? What? When? How? Why had no one ever said anything? If they suspected, why wouldn't anyone mention it? But the most important question she had was "How do I tell my Dad without him getting hurt?" Above all, even with her life spinning crazily, the only thing that mattered to her was to keep her Dad and Mom from getting hurt.
Finally after watching his wife stress for weeks, her husband asked her to let him handle it. To let him help take the burden of the secret she now felt she was keeping. When her husband told her Dad all that they knew, her Dad simply shrugged his shoulders and said "But she is my daughter. I don't care about the rest. I chose her and I would do it again. She has been a blessing to me." Her Mom put it so clearly for the little girl. "It wouldn't be any different than if we had adopted you honey," she said lovingly. And with that, the little girl's life long questions, and her fears of being a burden no longer existed. She had a family who loved her no matter how she came to them. But more importantly, they were her family and she loved them all the more for choosing her.
This story isn't just a random story I made up. It's the story of a man who is so amazing he chose to give up so much for a little girl he wasn't even sure was his. One he chose to be not just a father to, but a beloved Dad. This is the story of his courage and love. This is the story of an amazing woman who chose to be not just a cliché stepmother, but a true loving Mom to a lost little girl who did not always make it easy to love. The story of her strength, love, and compassion. This is the story of a family who withstood the test of a life and is all the stronger for it. This is my story. I am that little girl. Those two heroes are my parents, and there is not a luckier girl in the world than me.
I don't tell this story because I'm expecting anything out of it. I tell this story because I want to shout to the world what amazing parents I have been blessed with. I want my story to inspire others to be like them. To choose to love like them. I tell this story because they deserve the recognition of being so incredible and this is the only way I know how to best pay them tribute. This is Our Story and I wouldn't change a single bit of it for all the universe and it's riches.
...and the truth shall set you free. Thanks for sharing! Beauty.
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