A stranger at the grocery store told me her adoption story and it broke something open in me

I was standing in the canned goods aisle at the Safeway on 12th street last Tuesday, just staring at the same label for like 5 minutes. This older woman next to me asked if I was okay and I just started crying. She asked what was wrong and I told her I was thinking about placing my baby for adoption and I felt like a monster. She didn't flinch. She told me she was a birth mother 30 years ago and that the hardest thing she ever did was also the bravest. We talked for 20 minutes right there by the green beans. I didn't even get her name. Have any of you had a moment with a stranger that just shifted how you saw everything?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan1842d agoMost Upvoted

That must have really hit you hard.

leo6032d ago

Yeah it really did. What helped me was getting into a solid routine right after. Made sure to get outside for at least 15 minutes every morning, no matter how I felt. That small thing kept the spiral from getting worse. Also had to stop checking my phone first thing, that was a big one. Little changes like that can make a huge difference when everything feels heavy.