A man adopted at 32 is making headline news today. On March 16 CNN reported that Maurice Griffin was finally adopted by his longtime foster mom, Lisa Godbold. A California judge officially granted Godbold something that she had always wanted -- a third son -- the one that she had a hand in raising many years ago.
"It was the best day in my life. I fought for 10 years and finally the day came," said Griffin.
Godbold and her husband took Griffin home from an orphanage in the 1980's and he quickly became a part of their family, getting along great with the couple's two sons.
However, the man adopted at 32 didn't have an easy road to making the only family he's ever known "official." Things went good for a while but Godbold couldn't spank Griffin and that turned in to a problem. Griffin ended up being taken away by foster care officials -- and Godbold almost lost her own children while fighting to get Griffin back.
So Godbold and Griffin lost touch and Griffin has spent years trying to reconnect with the woman who he thought of as his "mother." Godbold's husband passed away and she remarried, changed her name, and moved away making Griffin's search very difficult. It wasn't until six years ago when Griffin found Godbold on a social media site. The two began reconnecting and now, Griffin officially has a mom.
The man adopted at 32 was so emotional about the who exchange. "I was actually really nervous before walking in, even though signing on the line was a formality. I thought something might happen to keep it from becoming official today. I'm a living example of it, that I have been through it. I just never stopped. It will all work out" (via CNN).
© Effie Orfanides 2013
Comments