‘I Couldn’t Do It Earlier!’ Woman Marries for the 1st Time at 67 and Wants to Be a Mom – Story of the Day

When Abigail returned from her honeymoon, she and her husband started looking into adoption immediately but were slammed for her wishes online. She responded to her haters and persevered, unwilling to relinquish her dream.

Abigail sat on her computer, which her neighbor's son had kindly set up for her a few years ago. She had slowly learned to use technology and became good at it in her 60s. Although most couldn't keep up with the new gadgets and tech, she had an excellent handle on Facebook and other social media.

The internet had been a blessing. She had joined a dating site at age 65 and finally found the love of her life, Roger, who was around her age. They got married two years later after much discussion. Now, they were looking into the future.

Their greatest wish was to become parents, which neither did before. Obviously, the biological route was out of the question, but they decided to consider adoption. Abigail joined a group on Facebook dedicated to adoption and learning about the process in her state.

Putting on her reading glasses and stretching her fingers, she started typing her first post.

Hello, other prospective adopters. My name is Abigail, and my husband is Roger. We're both in our late 60s and would like more information about this process…

After reading her words several times, she clicked to post and waited while scrolling through other comments. Soon enough, the notifications came, and her smile was wide and bright as she clicked on look at the post.

Her grin faded quickly, however, after reading the first comment.

"Are you going to adopt at 67? Are you insane? You'll be dead before your child can graduate school!"

"It's too late for you! Let other women adopt babies!"

"Ew! Who would want old parents? I wouldn't put a baby through that!"

The comments kept coming, becoming even more nasty and horrible as they went. Abigail couldn't look away, although she knew these strangers' words shouldn't mean much to her. It was still hurtful because she hadn't achieved her greatest dream earlier.

Finally, a group moderator removed the post and sent Abigail a message with an apology. But the older woman wanted to explain herself. She clicked to write another post, revealing her complicated life.

Not everyone's life goes the same way. We can all understand that. But my childhood was rough. My teenage years and early 20s were spent caring for my mother, who became disabled after an accident. My father left us, so it was just me. I worked and watched her. It was all-consuming.

She passed when I turned 24. I mourned her for several years before finally moving on to my own life. But by then, I had no idea what a good relationship was. I hadn't dated before, so the men that came into my life were not the nicest, to say the least. My first boyfriend almost blinded me in a rage one night.

My second boyfriend lied to string me along for years. I thought he loved me, but in the end, he just wanted to mooch off me for as long as possible. Soon, I was in my 40s. Alone and jaded. I decided to focus on my career and forget my dreams of becoming a wife and mother. But after retiring, I found myself lonely.

That's when I met Roger, whose life hasn't been easy. We fell in love, and he treats me like a queen. I'm finally in a good place to become a mother. I couldn't do it earlier! I know my age is an issue, but none of these comments will stop me from trying to give a loving home to a child. Also, all you haters are just talking about babies.

You forget how many older children and teens are in the foster system or group homes. While I would be more than happy with a baby, I would also give any other child a chance, too. So, no matter what others say, I will keep trying. Roger and I have a loving home; any kid would be lucky to have us.

Abigail posted her response to the group and signed off Facebook. She went to Google and looked for actual information on adoption in her state. She called a few people. Unfortunately, her and her husband's age was a concern for many agencies. Most told her it would be impossible for her to get approved.

The social workers and agents at these agencies didn't seem optimistic, even when she explained that they would give any child a chance. She tried calling other places for the next few days and spoke to different people. But she hung up each time, exhausted and defeated.

Roger was worried for her. "Perhaps we can adopt a dog," he suggested. "It's not the same, but maybe we shouldn't force it, darling. I don't like to see you upset."

Abigail sighed and grabbed her husband's hand tightly. "Maybe you're right," she started, but her home phone rang. It was one of the social workers she had spoken to earlier that day.

"Mrs. Jones, I'm calling you after hours because I thought it would be better to say this on my cell than on the official phone line. You can take a foster class, which starts this Saturday. I can't promise anything, but perhaps you should come," the woman named Elisa suggested.

Abigail thought it was a sign. She and Roger signed up and attended. As expected, everyone gave them weird looks, even the staff, but they couldn't officially turn them away. They went through the lessons, heard the lectures, practiced first aid, did more research than others, and finally, Elisa pulled them to the side after several weeks.

"You guys have been fantastic! You've even made friends with the younger people," she smiled. "So, I wondered if you're ready for your first placement. There's this sibling set that I was hoping to find a good home for."

"Siblings?" Abigail's eyes brightened. "How old are they?"

"16 and 14," Elisa said, biting her lip. "It's hard to place teenagers. As you know, most people want infants and babies. But I was hoping you'd want to try it out. These kids are well-behaved. They were just dealt a horrible card in life. Their parents died, and there was no one else. The 16-year-old wanted to run away with her brother, but we convinced them to let us help."

"YES!" Abigail said. She didn't need to be convinced.

Roger laughed. "Yeah. We're ready as long as they are."

A week later, Charlotte and Bobby came into their lives… and it was hard. They were teenagers in pain and going through all the difficulties of growing up. But it was also the biggest blessing of Abigail's life.

Many months later, when things had settled, Abigail logged onto Facebook and saw all her missed notifications. "Oh, right. I never checked the replies," she muttered and clicked. Surprisingly, the tone of the messages was way different. People had read her story, connected with her, and sent her many positive words.

Some trolls got in the way, but most people wished them luck. So, she did what anyone else would: post a picture of her new family. Her two kids smiling, excited about their trip to Yosemite. She might even have bragged a little, but she couldn't help but let her joy show.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older woman who adopted a boy with a bit of a note in his pocket. But the boy's birth mom returned years later.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.