Then What Happened?
Your Dad and I met when I was nineteen and he was twenty. Real star-crossed lovers. It wasn't meant to be.
I was a University student and he was a soldier in the Armed Forces. Young and foolish; we thought we had it all figured out and the world was our oyster.
The news of our decision to have a child out of wedlock was received with mixed emotions, but my parents helped us and supported us fully. Your grandpa and grandma bought us a new home to raise our family and welcome you as the new addition.
My mom, sister, extended family and friends hosted a large baby shower for you after you were born and everyone blessed you. You were a serene, calm, happy, cute, adorable, special, child. Goodly and beautiful.
I will back up now to before you were born. Your Dad experienced a giant traumatic event when I was about 6 months pregnant. He learned the truth. A giant secret had, not only been kept from him, but he had been deliberately deceived and lied to, manipulated into thinking his parents were his biological parents, and his siblings were his biological siblings, when in fact they were not.
When you're ready, I have a handwritten letter from your Dad that you can read.
To magnify his pain, your Dad learned the man he had considered his uncle all his life, who had his own family and children, was in fact your Dad's biological parent, pretending to be his uncle.
To this day, as far as I know, your Dad doesn't even know his biological mother's name. It was kept from him then, and I don't know if he ever had the courage to find her, or learn about his mother's family and background.
An entire life, your Dad's life, was based on lies for twenty years. A child, your Dad, was denied a relationship with both biological parents, one at a hand's distance away, and the other as though she never existed. A true tragedy, if I ever heard one.
To this day, I am not surprised how your Dad was affected by this. I'm certain there are no words to describe the betrayal, confusion, anger, worthlessness, loss, and pain he felt.
Fast forward to after you were born and after the lovely baby shower. Our relationship, our new family of three came under attack. Enter the masqueraders. Masquerading as servants of righteousness, looking beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. Offering their support and aid, yet secretly plotting in the dark. Master manipulators, accomplished liars, and brilliant at managing impressions. The wolves in sheep's clothing entered the fold.
We were naïve. Your Dad and I gave into their coercion and deceit. We thought if we did this or that then they would leave us alone to raise our daughter as we chose. But, we were wrong.
Their tactics grew ever increasingly seditious and manipulative. We were 20 years old, starting a new life with a new baby. We never saw it coming. We were ignorant of their devices, and by the time we caught on to the plot it was too late.
We lost ourselves in the storm and once the skies cleared, the subversion was final. They got what they wanted, and our lives have never been the same.
Like many broken hearted souls, your Dad and I wandered in the harsh wilderness of regret, sorrow, anger, bitterness, despair, and grief. I suppose your Dad is still wandering today.
My life was rescued from the pit. By the grace of The Lord God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the support of my parents, sister, brother-in-law, cousins, aunts, uncles, husband, and friends.
You too have a multitude of family here to support you. An entire story to be written. We are waiting for you to pick up the pen.
"May God, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in Him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." [Romans 15: 12]