A poor old lonely woman named Emma started receiving deliveries every day from an unknown source. She and her late husband never had children together, so she could not tell where these deliveries came from.
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When Emma Richards’ husband died seven years ago, she was devastated. She now had to live out the rest of her life alone, taking care of herself as she had no one else to do it for her.
She and her husband John didn’t have any children that could look after her. Every time Emma was asked why, she always just shrugged and avoided answering.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
One day, while Emma was sitting in her bedroom watching TV, somebody rang the doorbell. She wasn’t expecting any visitors, so she decided to go check who it was.
As she opened the front door, a delivery man in his 40s stood there with several boxes. He was wearing a mask, so she could not see his face clearly.
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“Hello. I am not expecting a package from anybody. May I know who this is from?” Emma asked him.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but these packages were sent anonymously. Rest assured, our security checked them and they are absolutely safe. These are for you,” he said, placing the boxes on Emma’s table by the door.
“That’s strange… thank you, sweet boy,” Emma replied before shutting the door.
When the delivery man left, Emma opened the boxes quickly as she was curious about what was inside. In the first box, there were small household appliances like a new oven toaster, sandwich press, and coffee maker.
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“Who would give me all of these?” she said to herself. She proceeded to open the second box, and there were beautiful clothes inside, as well as groceries.
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Every day, Emma started to receive more packages. It’d always be the same delivery man handing them over, so she decided to get to know him.
“What is your name, sweet boy?” she asked.
“My name is Ted Harrison,” the delivery man smiled. “Mrs. Richards, the sender requested for us to give you this. I’ll wait until you finish answering it,” he added, handing her an envelope.
Curious, Emma opened it and read it quickly. It said: Mrs. Richards, please let me know what you need for yourself, and I will grant them.
“Oh, I am dying to know who has been giving me all of these! Now that person even wants me to make requests!” she exclaimed.
“I’m sure the sender loves you very dearly, even though you don’t know who it is,” the delivery man smiled.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
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Emma obliged and wrote what she needed. She didn’t want the person to spend a lot for her, so she only wrote down necessities.
Since that short and sweet encounter, Emma began to prepare quick snacks for Ted the delivery man. For an entire month, he went to her house, handing her parcels that had clothes, food, books, and other novelty items.
At one point, Emma started to get used to Ted’s company. He would spend time with her by eating snacks together and volunteering to do some housework that she couldn’t do herself.
However, one day, Ted didn’t come. Suddenly concerned, Emma decided to head over to the local post office to find him.
“Hello, can you please page Ted Harrison? I just have some donuts I wanted to give him,” she asked the young woman at the reception table. The young woman looked confused.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. There’s nobody named Ted Harrison who works here,” she replied.
“Oh… but he has been delivering my packages every day. That’s strange,” Emma said, suddenly disappointed. She did not know where to find Ted, and it upset her.
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She walked back home with so many thoughts suddenly going through her head. Who could this kind Samaritan be? Did I go to the wrong post office? Was Ted just pretending to be a delivery man?
As she got to her front porch, she was surprised to see a tiny box in front of the door. There, she saw a key and a note that read:
I learned the truth just a month ago when I decided to hire a private investigator to find out where I came from. I know you blame yourself and regret what you did. However, I want you to know that I don’t blame you and that I know you only had my best interest at heart.
You and your husband could not feed me, so you gave me up for adoption. I ended up in a wealthy family that treated me like their own, but something always felt lacking. I realized that was you, mom.
You’re lacking in my life, and I would love to spend more time with you. If you’d be willing, I recently bought a new house. I had a key duplicated for you in case you wanted to move in with me. Please, allow me to take care of you. With love, your delivery man, Ted.
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Emma was shaking by the time she finished reading the message. She had always longed to see her son before she died, and she couldn’t believe that it was him who found her. And that son turned out to be Ted! She couldn’t help but cry, all the guilt from her past catching up with her once again.
It was true what Ted found out about their past. Emma and John were on the verge of bankruptcy when they found out she was pregnant. They knew they wouldn’t be able to raise Ted in a good environment, so they put him up for adoption.
They left their son at an orphanage when he was only months old. With his belongings, Emma left a letter that explained why they could not raise him. The letter was anonymous, but after convincing the orphanage directors to disclose the contents of his adoption papers, Ted found Emma’s name.
Emma wanted to see Ted immediately. She prepared to leave her house to meet him, but someone knocked on the door. When she opened it, she saw Ted.
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“Hi, mom,” Ted said softly.
Emma started to cry. “I can’t believe it. My son,” she started sobbing. She pulled him in for a hug and refused to let go. “I am so sorry, sweetheart. I truly am. I wish you can forgive me,” Emma continued to cry.
“You don’t need to apologize, mom. I’m here because I want to spend more time with you. It’s not too late to start over. We can still be a family,” Ted said before breaking their long hug.
That night, Ted and Emma spent time together by packing her belongings in boxes. A truck was waiting outside, where they loaded her things so they could transfer them to Ted’s house.
There, Emma was surprised to see Ted’s wife and children. They were just as excited as Ted to welcome her into their home, and since then, Emma never had to be alone again.
What can we learn from this story?
- The past doesn’t have to define the future. Emma thought she’d never get to spend time with her son ever again until her son decided to search for the truths of his life that led him to find his biological mom. They ended up moving in together and starting anew.
- Forgiveness can be a beautiful thing. Instead of holding a grudge against his biological parents, Ted chose to forgive them. He even decided to introduce himself to his mom so as to build a relationship with her.
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Black Couple Opens Up About Their Journey to Adopting Three White Children
Sadie and Jarvis Sampson: A Journey to Parenthood Beyond Expectations
Sadie and Jarvis Sampson spent years trying to conceive, exhausting every option before they came to terms with the idea that their path to parenthood might look different. Then, an unexpected text message changed everything overnight.
The couple, married in January 2018, initially tried to conceive naturally. When that didn’t work, they turned to every method they could think of: ovulation tests, prenatal vitamins, fertility tracking apps, and fertility monitors.
“We even tried the unsolicited advice of friends, family, and strangers to ‘just relax.’ For 14 months, we tried, prayed, and waited. Month after month, we faced negative pregnancy tests. It felt like we were running out of options,” Sadie shared with Love What Matters.
Doctors offered little guidance, often advising Sadie to lose weight to increase her chances of conceiving. Determined, Sadie underwent gastric surgery and successfully lost 28 pounds. Her OBGYN was thrilled and told her, “If you’re not pregnant within six months, I’ll refer you to a fertility specialist.”
Despite the weight loss and renewed hope, pregnancy still didn’t happen. “I felt like I was born to be a mother,” Sadie admitted. “But even after everything, we had to accept that we might only ever be an aunt and uncle.”
A Life-Changing Text
Just as they began to let go of their dream, Sadie received a text from a friend asking if they’d consider fostering a baby. The baby’s biological parents were unable to care for him, and the caseworker initially asked them to foster while the mother sought treatment.
The couple hesitated, afraid of growing attached to a child they might not be able to keep. But soon, the story took a surprising turn: “The birth mom decided she would like you guys to adopt the child instead,” the caseworker told them.
“Holy crap!” Sadie recalled exclaiming. “We went from being childless to being told, ‘You guys are parents!’ overnight.”
The weekend was filled with excitement, nerves, and cautious optimism as they waited to see if the birth mother would change her mind. But by Monday, it was official: the mother wanted them to adopt her son through an independent adoption.
Their baby boy, Ezra Lee, was born prematurely at 33 weeks, weighing just 4 pounds, 5 ounces. “He was so tiny, he literally fit in one of my husband’s hands,” Sadie recalled.
Building a Family That Doesn’t Have to Match
The Sampsons shared their adoption story on social media, and friends and family rallied around them, purchasing 55 out of 72 items from their baby registry in just three days.
Ezra’s adoption was finalized in October 2020. The family celebrated the occasion with matching t-shirts that read, “Families don’t have to match.”
In 2021, the Sampsons’ family grew again when they welcomed twin girls, Journee and Destinee, through embryo donation. Staying true to their family motto, this Black couple became proud parents to three white children: Ezra, Journee, and Destinee.
When faced with judgment or curiosity about their family dynamic, Sadie and Jarvis have one clear message: their family is built on the strongest foundation possible—love.
Their story is a powerful reminder that families come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and that love knows no boundaries. Please share their inspiring journey with others.
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