From Hope to Destinee: An Adoption Story

By Elizabeth Hope

How can an adoption be closed, yet open at the same time? This story shares an intimate look at a relationship bonded through letters. The precious correspondence was encouraged by Destinee’s adoptive parents. They embraced the idea of their daughter having contact with her birth-mother while preserving their privacy. The adoption agency forwarded letters back and forth, keeping personal information secret until it was time for a remarkable reunion!

This book details the journey of a young woman who finds herself pregnant at 14. She is forced to grow up in a hurry as she makes a life-altering choice. Will it all work out for the best in the end? Can adoption have a fairytale ending? Can a birth mother ever find peace with her decision? Can adoption make a difference in this world? The title should give some clues, but the story provides the answers!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9781638293675

Elizabeth Hope

Elizabeth Hope was born and raised in Southern Minnesota. She has always had a passion for singing and went to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with a vocal scholarship. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2002 and quickly became an army spouse and stay-at-home mom to two boys. She also treasures her role as a birthmother and continues to have a close relationship with her daughter, to whom this book is dedicated.

Book preview

About the Author

Elizabeth Hope was born and raised in Southern Minnesota. She has always had a passion for singing and went to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with a vocal scholarship. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2002 and quickly became an army spouse and stay-at-home mom to two boys. She also treasures her role as a birthmother and continues to have a close relationship with her daughter, to whom this book is dedicated.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the most beautiful girl in the world: my daughter, Destinee Rose Elizabeth! She is a beacon of light for everyone she meets. She loves her family and friends with all her heart. Her thoughtfulness and generosity astonish me, and I am so delighted to see the radiant woman she has become.

Copyright Information ©

Elizabeth Hope 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The story, experiences, and words are the author’s alone.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Hope, Elizabeth

From Hope to Destinee

ISBN 9781638293668 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781638293675 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023901056

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

mailto:[e-mail]

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Acknowledgment

This publication would not have been possible without the nurturing support of Destinee’s adoptive parents, Mike and Dana. They always encouraged Destinee to write me letters. They shared in her joy when she received correspondence from me. Most importantly, they welcomed me into their family. I am forever grateful to this incredible couple for giving my baby the world!

1

My Beginnings

I was born, Elizabeth Hope, in a medium-sized town (population 20,000) in Southern Minnesota. My parents gave me my nickname, Betsy, from the start. I absolutely loved my town. My dad, Dave, had always taken me birdwatching at our wonderful nature center. He also had a beautiful garden in our backyard. He instilled in me a love for the natural world. My mother, Annette, had passed her love of music down to me. I loved watching her direct the church choir. We listened to Amy Grant and Wilson Phillips in the car. My parents always loved and adored me. It was pretty devastating when they split up. After I finished seventh grade, my mom married a farmer from a small town (population 2,000). I had to leave my hometown and move on to my stepdad’s farm. Don’t get me wrong. My stepdad, Dale, is a great guy! I just didn’t want to move.

I was a typical child of divorce, full of angst and resentment. I remember crying at my mom’s wedding reception and scowling through the photo session wearing my emerald-green bridesmaid dress. I was such a brat. I feel really guilty looking back. I should have put on a smile for my mom’s big day.

The epicenter of my life this far had always been my paternal grandmother’s house. It was the one constant in my life that felt like home. My dad had grown up in that house. It holds so many memories! My Grandma Elaine was always open to ‘pop-in’ visits. She would toast up some English muffins or a few pieces of cheese bread and play cards with me, usually Crazy 8s or Kings in the Corners. After the move, Grandma’s house was a 40-minute drive away. I used to go there every other weekend. After my parents’ divorce, my dad moved in with Grandma. My little brother, Eric, and I had our visitations there.

It was very difficult to say goodbye to my cousins! I babysat them all the time! I was devastated to move away from them! We were so close growing up that they were more like siblings to me than cousins.

My mom’s family also settled in the town where I was born. I’m pretty sure they all migrated there from Wisconsin to be closer to my mom, my brother, and me! It was a shock to the system to now have so much distance between us!

I got my middle name from my maternal grandmother, Gramma Hope. I believe she is quite possibly an angel walking on this Earth. She is definitely a saint! She pours her heart and soul into making the holidays special for all of us. Even after we moved, she and my grandpa still came to every school performance of mine.

It was hard being so far away from my godmother, Laurie, as well. She and my uncle Rick made every occasion fun! When I close my eyes and think of the most magical moments of my childhood, Laurie is always part of them! Laurie is a fashionista! She would always surprise me with an on-trend gift, like my hyper-color shirt that would change color according to my body temperature! They were so hot in the 5th grade and I got one from my Aunt Laurie! I could breathe on different spots of the sleeves and watch them change from purple to pink!

My hometown was also the place where I had my first love. It was the seventh grade, and he was an eighth-grader. I loved him so much! He wrote me love letters all the time, and he was a master note folder. This was before the dawn of texting! We would write to each other on primitive notebook paper, professing our undying love and promising forever. I will never forget my very first French kiss at the bus stop after school. It gave me a tingling feeling from top to bottom! After that, all we ever did was French kiss! I remember walking to a park, sitting under a shade tree, and making out with him! We wanted those moments to last forever. We broke up before I moved.

I have to say that my parents did an amazing job co-parenting. We would always meet in a town in the middle to drop off/pick up for visitations. My mom made sure that we got to visit our dad often. They always got along well for our sake. I was still very sad. I missed my dad and I missed staying in one town.

My parents tried to appease me because they knew I was upset. My mom and stepdad built me a beautiful new bedroom, complete with its own bathroom. It was an addition to the farmhouse. I should have been grateful, but I had a terrible attitude. I was headed for some serious trouble.

2

Risky Behavior

It all started with smoking. My dad had been a smoker along with my grandmother before him. I remember being so grossed out by cigarettes as a little kid. When I would visit my grandmother, I had to find my way through the billowing smoke to give her a hug. I hated it! One time, I dug my hand into a bag of what I thought were chips, only to find it full of old cigarette butts! My hand smelled for a week! I remember our D.A.R.E. program at the beginning of 8th grade at my new school. I signed my contract wholeheartedly, vowing to never try drugs or alcohol. I really meant it! But