When you sell a house the mail box fills with post cards of movers looking for business. With a move scheduled in 2 weeks I fished through post cards looking for a service provider. My eye was drawn to the big name movers. However the big name quotes were overpriced and projected an attitude of arrogance, thinking they were the biggest and the best. They provided colorful folders full of literature no one moving in two weeks has time to read.
Upon my return to the postcard pile I was drawn to the card with a simple font and straight forward message. Right away the call to that mover felt comfortable. Pricing was straight forward and fair, with a promise for a written quote to appear in my inbox by the end of the night. The mover reported he may be delayed in getting back to me tomorrow for confirmation because he was going on a trip. No problem I said, following our call with a text containing my email address. Five minutes later the mover called back.
After seeing my email was connected to Hope Cottage Pregnancy and Adoption Center, he called to share the reason he was going out of town tomorrow was to see the daughter he placed for adoption 22 years ago. He shared his adoption placement, completed in another state, was the most difficult decision of his life. He is seeing his daughter for the first time since the hospital, where he held her for two hours before she was placed with her adoptive parents. He shared his fear about being good enough to meet her because she was raised by amazing people and he made some bad decisions in his younger years. I reminded him her life exists because of him and she experienced loss, just like him.
Adoption cannot happen without loss. I encouraged him to share with her how precious those two hours together have been to him and to enjoy making memories through their reunion. He was tearful telling his story. The raw emotion of fear and glee associated with seeing his daughter again was moving. I then realized my mover had moved me without touching a single item in my house.
Not only did I find a great mover, I was gifted with an adoption story. No two are the same.
To encourage him further I sent him this song lyric from Dire Straits:
“There should be laughter after pain.
There should be sunshine after rain
These things have always been the same
So why worry now?”
“Well wishes to you on your reunion day.”
Furthermore, as the Training and Marketing coordinator for Hope Cottage, I find an interesting link between adoption service marketing and moving service marketing. Flashy campaigns do not guarantee the provider is a match for a family in need. Personal, quality service guides decisions. Bigger is not always better.
Later, I found the confirmation in my inbox with this special note:
“I want to thank you for being the incredible person you are…I’m up and ready this morning extremely excited to open this new chapter in life. When you decided to do what you do in life you made the right choice you are an amazing person”
Today’s blog post was written by Hope Cottage Marketing and Education Coordinator, Heather Hussong
