LUTZ, Fla. — The unexpected reunion keeps getting better for Beth Cole’s family.
“Now what my family looks like today is the bonus of a beautiful 27-year-old daughter,” she said during an interview in September. “It’s a huge leap from then to now.”
In July, the Lutz woman was finally reconnected with her daughter, Rebecca Hook, after giving her up for adoption 27 years ago. Cole flew up to Hook’s Michigan home and embraced her for the first time since hugging her in the hospital as a 19-year-old college student.
The two bonded over a long weekend filled with hugs and laughter.
“It was just crazy how natural it was and how it felt like we’ve just known each other our entire lives,” said Hook.
The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Cole’s parents had made the trip. Thankfully, Hook made the trip to Florida to meet her grandparents Oct. 16.
Steve and Anita Yoder were overjoyed to see Hook at their Tampa home. The grandparents hugged Hook and her two-year-old daughter, Addy, fiercely.
“I just can’t even think. I’ve just waited on this for so long and didn’t know if it would even happen,” said Anita. “I can’t say anymore.”
Her husband smiled.
“We been praying, I have, for 27 years for this day. I knew it would happen before I passed on. That’s all I ever asked,” he said. “Good Lord, bring her to us before we go home. Now we have her and, not that we’re going home, but we’re ready.”
The visit lasted only a few days but it was worth the wait. Cole has been so inspired by the reconnecting of her family that she decided to start a website to help other families find long-lost loved ones. If interested, visit www.HopeReunited.com
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