A little girl is adopted by a loving couple and gets her first birthday cake ever. The next day, she receives an unexpected windfall. Melanie was six years old, and she wanted a family. She had been in foster care since she was two \u2014 too young to even remember her mother and father. She\u2026<\/p>\n
A little girl is adopted by a loving couple and gets her first birthday cake ever. The next day, she receives an unexpected windfall.<\/p>\n
Melanie was six years old, and she wanted a family. She had been in foster care since she was two \u2014 too young to even remember her mother and father.<\/p>\n
She often asked herself: \u201cWho were they? Did they love me?\u201d Then she\u2019d cry and whisper: \u201cWhy didn\u2019t they want me?\u201d But one day, something wonderful happened, something Melanie had been praying for.<\/p>\n
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
A social worker came to visit Melanie and with her came a young couple. The man winked at Melanie and grinned, the woman smiled. She had the sweetest, kindest eyes Melanie had ever seen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is Gordon and Helen,\u201d the social worker explained. \u201cAnd they want to adopt you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey do?\u201d gasped Melanie, then she turned to the couple and asked suspiciously, \u201cWhy do you want to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Miracles happen when you least expect them.<\/p>\n
The man, Gordon, looked shocked by Melanie\u2019s question, but Helen knelt down so she could look Melanie in the eyes and said, \u201cWe want to adopt you because we want the nicest, funniest, prettiest girl in New York City to be our daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melanie smiled a big, sunny, happy smile and threw her arms around Helen. She had found a family who wanted her, and was willing to love her for herself!<\/p>\n
Melanie went to live with Gordon and Helen and discovered that having parents was both wonderful and terrible. It was wonderful because you had two people giving you all their love and attention all the time.<\/p>\n
It was terrible because you had two people giving you all their love and attention all the time, and noticing when you didn\u2019t do things you were supposed to do.<\/p>\n
Melanie discovered she couldn\u2019t get away with not doing her homework, or doing any of the naughty but fun things she\u2019d done in the foster home. There, there were so many kids, you get away with anything.<\/p>\n
In a real family, you don\u2019t get away with anything because people CARE about you! It was a wonderful realization, and when Helen told Melanie she had to clean her room before dinner, she cried, \u201cThank you, thank you!\u201d and hugged her.<\/p>\n
Helen laughed. \u201cI have to tell you off more, Melanie!\u201d she exclaimed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, please,\u201d Melanie cried. \u201cThen I know you care!\u201d<\/p>\n
Six months went by, and life fell into a pattern that was comfortable for the little family. They got to know each other. Melanie knew not to make noise in the mornings because Gordon worked the night shift. Gordon learned not to scare Melanie with plastic spiders because she was REALLY scared, not fun, pretend scared.<\/p>\n
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
Helen learned that both Gordon and Melanie loved peanut butter cookies. They\u2019d sit on the back porch and devour a whole jumbo packet in five seconds, stuffing the whole cookies in their mouths to see who could eat faster.<\/p>\n
They all learned what it\u2019s like to be a happy family.<\/p>\n
But then something awful happened. Gordon was hurt at work and had to spend several weeks in the hospital. Helen looked more and more worried as the days went by.<\/p>\n
Melanie was a bright girl. She knew that doctors cost a lot of money. Sometimes she would hear Helen cry late at night, and she\u2019d creep into her bed and hug her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank God for you, Melanie,\u201d Helen would whisper and kiss her.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Gordon got better and came home, but he had to walk around on crutches. That was when the bills started arriving. Helen put them in little piles on the dresser and looked at them worriedly. \u201cWe\u2019ll sort it out, Helen,\u201d Gordon said softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur savings are all gone, Gordon,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI\u2019m scared. It\u2019s not just us, anymore. What if Melanie needs something and we don\u2019t have the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gordon put his arms around Helen. \u201cTrust in God, my love,\u201d he said. \u201cHey Melanie, why are you looking so sad? Didn\u2019t I see some peanut butter cookies hidden away on the top shelf?\u201d<\/p>\n
One morning, bright and early, Melanie woke up with a start. Someone had blown a party whistle right in her ear! She jumped and opened her eyes.<\/p>\n
Her bedroom was full of balloons! Helen and Gordon (yes, he was up!) were standing by the foot of the bed wearing silly party hats and grinning. \u201cHAPPY BIRTHDAY!\u201d they shouted.<\/p>\n
Melanie started to smile. \u201cI forgot it\u2019s my birthday!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGet up, get up,\u201d chanted Gordon. \u201cThere\u2019s a SURPRISE!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A little girl is adopted by a loving couple and gets her first birthday cake ever. The next day, she receives an unexpected windfall. Melanie was six… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance"],"yoast_head":"\n