Dream Scenes: Linda's Story

Linda was a single mom with 3 young sons. When she was in her late 30's, she remarried a man who also had 3 sons. Both of them wanted a daughter, but after 2 years of trying to get pregnant, and with the nagging thought that there was at least a 50% chance they would get another boy, they decided to look into adoption.

Linda had a routine appointment with her personal physician and mentioned to him that her and her husband, Steve, were considering adopting a baby girl. When leaving her appointment, Linda, facetiously joked to her doctor that if a baby girl just happened his way, give her a call.

Five days later, Linda received a call from the local hospital saying that a baby girl had been born and the mother wanted to place her up for adoption... She had been scheduled to be adopted by a family living out of state, but they backed out since they really wanted a boy.

Linda's doctor was not the attending physician, but just happened to be at the hospital when he heard the story. He gave them Linda's name and phone number. Linda went immediately to see the baby and fell in love with her at first sight. Coincidence?

When baby Emma was 2 years old, the family moved to a new neighborhood and a larger home. Linda became chums with one of the neighbors and they talked about Emma being adopted. Turns out that the neighbor had given up a baby for adoption when she was just 19 years old and she had never shared that information before, not even to her current two children. She agonized over that decision for 10 years.

Talking with Linda and seeing her with Emma helped ease her mind and alleviate some of her long standing guilt. She could now see the other side of her own story. Coincidence?

When Emma started school, Linda went back to work. Her co-worker, as it turns out was a woman who adopted a, born out of wedlock, granddaughter nearly 18 years ago. She had reared this child as her own daughter and had never shared that information with anyone. With Linda's openness about adoption, this woman finally had someone in whom she felt she could confide. Coincidence?

With no background matching, Emma looks, acts and thinks so much like Linda, people are always astounded to learn they are not blood related. Coincidence?

After Emma turned 18, she located her biological parents and as it turns out her biological father. Unbeknownst to either, had crossed paths with Linda's family on several occasions, and had even showed up in Linda's family's photo when he was just a child. Coincidence?

Moral #1. Sometimes there are plans in life that are larger than each of us singularly, but, in order for those plans to come into play, you need to be willing to put your thoughts and feelings into words and put the word out there.

Moral #2. You never know who your story will touch and what effect it might have on your life and/or the life of someone else.

Moral #3. Life is not about coincidences. Learn to accept that you are the author of your own story and the master of your own destiny.