Mr. Right Didn’t Show Up and My Child Did
It's often good to have friends that you are so close to that if you aren't sure about something, chatting with one of them can clarify the situation. However, sometimes that isn't true and making your decision has to be something you do on your own. Something like that once happened to me.
I had a few really romantic adventures but when I turned 40 and none of them had ended with marriage, I knew that if I wanted a child , I'd have to do it on my own. Several people tried to deter me explaining that they felt it would just be too difficult. That was what they saw as the primary deterrent, especially people who had children and had partners and still found childrearing overwhelming . While they did everything they could to discourage me, I turned their no into my yes.
My plan was to be married to be married to "Mr. Right" and to conceive a couple or a few children. That plan was not going to materialize and I had to take reproduction into my own hands. After considering various possibilities, I decided on adopting a child at birth. I was working with an adoption agency in Texas. On Monday, May 17th, 1993, I got a call from the agency. The social worker said that a 2 month old was available for adoption. The birth parents felt that since they had other children and not a lot of money, that they made a mistake hold their child and that adoption was really right for them. I spoke with the social worker that Monday and we agreed I would call her back with my decision the next day. When I called back the next day I explained that I was saying "no" because I wanted a newborn (baby at birth). She said "ok" and that I should get what I really wanted. And she expected that a baby would be available in September.
And so you could imagine my surprise when there was a message on my answering machine the following Monday from the social worker. When I called back I found out a bit of a surprise. Unexpectedly a newborn baby girl was available. Would I like her? She was born on Saturday, May22nd. On May 25th I called back and said "yes." And on May 28th, 1993, Julie arrived at the New York airport with the lawyer and a lifelong love affair had just begun.
