Being adopted can be one of the most significant moments in a person’s life. For someone who’s never had two parents — or any family at all — being adopted means having people there for them that’ll love them unconditionally.
But it happens earlier for some than others. And it’s not always something that happens between a stepparent and stepchild.
When one little girl was called to the kitchen by her mom and stepdad, she had no idea what was coming for her.
They teasingly told her she was getting a birthday present. And technically, she was — one of the best of her life.
As she opened the wrapping paper and saw what was inside, her apprehensive grin faded. Suddenly, she was weeping tears of joy. Then she collapsed in the arms of the man who was now her father.
Her stepfather had finally received the adoption papers that said he was really and truly her dad.
She was so overwhelmed she couldn’t speak. The two of them hugged one another, both crying, while the father wiped his daughter’s tears.
It’s a moment that could make anyone cry, even someone who doesn’t know anything about the family at all.
Amazingly, this little girl isn’t the only one who’s received that amazing surprise.
An 11-year-old girl named Cami Lassiter also gained attention for her reaction when her stepdad, Bobby Powell, told her they would finally be father and daughter.
“I’ve loved her from the moment I saw her at age 4,” Bobby said. “I remember when I asked Tori to marry me: We came home and told Cami, and she asked, ‘So does that mean you’re going to be my daddy?’”
But adoption can take a long, long time.
What’s more, there are a lot of legal fees involved. The family had to save up money to cover the adoption costs. Although Powell had planned to adopt Cami many years earlier, they couldn’t say with any certainty how long it would take.
“She had no idea about any of it, despite the fact I’d decided I wanted to be her dad before I even married her mother,” said Powell. “After she opened her present, it was smiles and excitement for the whole day. She had wanted this for a long time just like us.”
When Cami learned the paperwork had already been filed and her name would soon be the same as her dad’s, she was overwhelmed with happiness.
It’s a true testament to the fact that family ties are not always about sharing blood. For these happy girls and their new dads, there is a new bond that’ll never be broken.
The amount of time it can take to adopt a child varies drastically from place to place and situation to situation.
Hopefully, these lucky girls are the first of many children who see their name on adoption papers.
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