Well now after almost 50 years, I get to say, I'm a momma again! Yesterday, my step-daughter and I went to court, and I adopted her. Come the first of July, I will have known her for 50 years, but to begin with my mother-in-law objected, so we put it off. Then we couldn't afford the attorney fees. After my husband died, the idea of adoption came back up. There were still family objections, but Patricia decided that she was capable of handling them, so now it is a done deal.
Oh @Ina I. Wonder I'm so happy for you and Patricia...and you both look so happy in your moma and daughter pictures too! Even the Judge and witness (I guess) look so happy for the two of you! It's never to late to make your dreams come true...may our heavenly Father bless you two with many happy years together as moma and daughter!
Thanks @Joe Riley , @Patsy Faye , @Holly Saunders , and @Gloria Mitchell! Now I can finally quit designating Patricia as my step-daughter. My in-laws were always so quick to correct me if I left that oh so important title off when I spoke of my daughter. Now that my Michael and both sons are gone, I find I have no need to pay attention to whatever any of them say anymore. Hi @Babs Hunt , Thank you very much for the kind wishes! Our attorney and the judge both said our case was one of the hi lights of their jobs. From the time Patricia was two, it's been a love connection for both of us. In so many of our pictures, she is looking to me instead of at the camera. The one below is an example of this. Patricia is the one next to Michael staring at me. She was three, and I was 16.
No matter how often I see that picture @Ina I. Wonder , I can never get over how young you were and had been married before even meeting Michael and still you look like the big sister to the rest of the kids.... BTW I just noticed your avi....so sweet...
@Holly Saunders , that I can understand. It amazes me when I realize I was first married "52" years ago. That was Michael just before he got sick. He was with our baby great-granddaughter. She inherited Patricia's red hair and blue eyes.
Well it's been more than three months since the adoption, and I must admit we received many wonderful reactions, but surprisingly, (or not), there have been negative reactions as well. We didn't tell any of the my husbamd's family about the adoption until after the fact. I told Patricia that we would handle things whatever way she chose, and she chose to keep everything quiet until it was a done deal. I think she had a clue as to how it would be received. Turns out it wasn't happily received by all. My second stepdaughter, the one that married my oldest son, and gave me two grandchildren, disowned her older sister, and so did her children. All three stopped talking to me after my husband died, and they made sure I understood that they were too busy and too poor to help me through this most trying time of my life. Yet all three have been renting sky boxes at sports and musical events, they've been flying around the country, and they just got back from an Alaskan cruise just yesterday. I only found out these things on their Facebook pages, since their too busy to be part of my life. I think their anger at the adoption is because of money. I feel they see Patricia as a stumbling block to what they feel is their right to any inheritance they were going to receive. The last time i spoke to any of them was when they let me know they were unhappy that Patricia's son, Bobert (Robert) moved in with me last year, and that was in an email. Greed! What an ugly trait.
Don't let this get you down Ina - walk away in your heart and body and don't look back on it Look forward now as I have done, you will feel better for it Wishing you endless happiness
You can adopt me too, as an older sister, and then they will REALLY have something to grumble about, @Ina I. Wonder . We could even take an Alaskan Cruise and let them stew about that, too.........Just sayin' . But seriously, @Patsy Faye is right. I know it is hard to do, but sometimes we have to walk on past these things with our family, forget the greed, and love them anyway. I have been in a similar situation and have an idea how you must be feeling.
Use to call my step daughter ...step...but quit that long ago when my two girls and her became grown and as close as sisters One of my grand kids got really upset with hubby when he introduced her as his ...step grand daughter...she was very hurt...we don't do that anymore !