Julie McLaughlin was 18 and pregnant - labeled as a 'good Catholic girl' from a good family. She sang in a group at church and was president of the Catholic Youth Organization. She was embarrassed, ashamed, and felt helpless. That was during an era when teenage pregnancy was not easily accepted. The lesson she learned from that experience has supported her throughout life.

Julie is a retired paralegal and first-time author who won numerous awards as a writer. During her interview, she shares how writing can be a healing tool for each of us. Her story may make you laugh and cry but also give you hope.

Her book, The Gift of Time has allowed her the opportunity to meet adoptees, adoptive parents, as well as other birth mothers.

There is a twist to this story you never saw coming and will certainly give you the courage to never ever give up hope.

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"Do we have any skeletons in our closet?"

That was the question posed to the author's mother-in-law by a niece after receiving a private message through Facebook from a stranger who said, "I think you are my cousin." This led to a shocking phone call on a normal June day, which altered the life of the author.

For forty years, Julie had kept a secret from most of the people in her life. A Catholic girl from a good family in the late 1970s, she had become pregnant in her late teens but was not ready to be a mom. With guidance from her parish priest, Julie went away to live in a home for other unwed, pregnant girls and made the difficult decision to give her baby up for adoption. Not for forty years did she know a thing about him--what his name was, what he looked like, where he lived, or what he did for a living. Until that June day in 2018, when he was revealed to be that baby, now a forty-year-old man. Yet she always had faith that her decision was the right one as she placed her son in God's hands.

Over the course of two years, this birth mother and biological son get to know each other and enter into each other's lives. There are interesting twists and turns. Had their paths ever crossed?

This very personal and honest memoir dives into the heartache, loss, and guilt suffered by the author. You will laugh, and you might cry. Some who have experienced the real story compare it to a beautiful Hallmark movie. In the end, the hole in the author's heart is filled.

The author hopes that this adoption story can bring peace to others who have endured a similar fate.