God's Hand All Along | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: God's Hand All Along | Previous Challenge Entry
By Diane Rowland
04/24/06
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Mary was twenty two years old when she had an Ectopic pregnancy. The year was 1958. She almost died, and both her tubes were taken out. No hope for children after that. Her husband never wavered, never blinked she said. They never talked about it. He never once said he wished they could have had children. After all they were raising her extended family and his. They carried on.

In 1964 her sister in law became pregnant for the fourth time in five years. On a bitterly cold December day twins were born. Surprise! A boy and a girl. Mary’s brother asked her to take them both at the time, he even had her name them, matching initials, because they were of course Twins! But her sister in law said no, she would raise them.

The little girl at five months old was being taken care of by a neighbor lady. When Mary went to visit, she was told the neighbor lady wanted to adopt the little girl. Mary went to the neighbor lady’s house and took that little girl home with her. She kept her for four months. Growing attached, loving the little girl. She became her own daughter. And her husband Jim’s.

One morning Mary was ironing her husband’s clothes. The little girl, named Diane, was sitting up now, nine months old, playing on the floor with blocks, sometimes laughing, sometimes holding up a block for Mary to see. Mary smiled. The door opened, her brother and sister in law, come for Diane, picking her up, taking her away. Leaving Mary with no explanation, the baby screaming. There was nothing, nothing at all she could do. She stood there and finished her ironing, though she couldn’t see through her tears.

Later on that day, an explanation given, they didn’t want the twins separated. Fine, wonderful, they wanted them both. The next morning Jim, early before breakfast went to get his twins. They and the three other children were alone in the apartment. The twins in a broken down baby bed, and his little girl Diane had a bruise on her head. He sent the oldest boy to find his sister in law, she carried the baby boy and Jim propped his girl beside him in the car. Never again would anyone take his babies away from his wife.

The steel determination of Jim and Mary persevered them through six years of struggle to get papers signed for adoption. The family wanted Jim and Mary to raise the twins, but they did not want them to adopt them. All this time the twins called them Aunt and Uncle and grew more in love with them daily. They were a home, a peaceful, happy home, with fun vacations and long warm summers and snug winters. There was nothing that the twins longed for. Diane was her Uncle’s girl.

Finally after home visits, and judge’s chambers, papers were signed, and Jim and Mary were the twin’s parents. The twins were in first grade.

I remember that day so clearly, my aunt and uncle holding me so tightly, I saw their inner strength that day. I saw the love that had propelled them through all obstacles. I remember kisses and the blessed words, “You can call us Mom and Dad now.” That transition was easy; they were the only parents I had ever known. I was after all, my Daddy’s girl.

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