Im Harper. Im pretty sure youll find this story hard to believe. If I heard it, I probably wouldnt believe it either. But I know that its true because it happened to me. My mom had a difficult time when she was pregnant with me. She had to stay in bed for 7 months because of the risk of miscarriage. As a result, she refused to have another baby even though my dad wanted to. After I was born, they both used all their time and energy taking care of me. They organized their life around me. Im not complaining about it because I had a great childhood and adolescence, but I wish they had some other interests too. Two and a half years ago, I moved to another city to go to university. After I left, there was a huge hole in my parents lives. For 18 years I was the center of their universe. They had no idea what to do with themselves after I left home. First, they got a cat. Then a dog. Then a parrot. My mom started taking art lessons. My dad started playing golf again. But none of it was enough. One day, I was on the phone with my mom. As usual, she was crying about how much she missed me and I was trying to console her. All of a sudden, I had a great idea. Mom, what about adopting a child? If youre really missing taking care of a kid, maybe you could adopt one? This time it could be a boy. You already raised a girl. It would be a new experience. The first thing she said was, Sweetie, Im too old to be taking care of a baby now. I wish I had stopped there but I didnt. Well, it could be an older child. Maybe like 9 or 10 years old. Youd provide a home for a child that needs one and youll also have someone to take care of which you clearly miss. She said, Harper, maybe its not such a bad idea. Let me talk to your dad and hung up. She called back half an hour later. She sounded very happy. Your dad is very excited. We decided were going to adopt a 10-year-old child just like you said. Well start looking into it tomorrow. I was so happy for her when I heard the news.

Send your story today to story@myself.com