Girl Surprises Stepdad With Adoption Papers On His Birthday | HuffPost

Grab the tissues.

By

Huff/Post 50 Editor, The Huffington Post

They say the best gifts come in small packages. For David Lynde, that gift was simply a pen to sign a stack of paperwork.

Lynde’s stepdaughter, 22-year-old Gabby Guardado, handed Lynde the gift for his 53rd birthday as the family filmed his reaction. Guardado’s biological father hasn’t been a big part of her life since she was 8, but Guardado, who is married to her mother, has, ABC News reports.

“You’ve been my dad. I know legal papers don’t change anything,” Guardado told Lynde as he uncovered the stack of adoption paperwork.

Guardado’s mother, Lori Ann Lynde, posted the video of the surprise on YouTube commenting, “It was the best gift my daughter could have given her step dad!”

Adult adoptions aren’t uncommon when it’s so meaningful to the stepparent. Just last month we wrote about a a teen who asked her stepfather to adopt her at her graduation party.

Just goes to show family comes in all shapes and sizes.

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Before You Go

Adoption Portraits

(01 of26)

Cindy Williams: 'I Didn't Know My Sons For 11 Years'"I don't remember exactly when I found the online support group, but I am so glad I did. I really think that no one understands a birth mom like another birth mom. No one else has ever had the kind of experiences we have had. I can see that all the feelings that I had over the years were normal, and that I am very lucky to have met my birthsons." (credit:Cindy Williams )

(02 of26)

Why Do I Have To Be Adopted? A Story Of Intra-Family Adoptions"Adoption was shameful back then. Terminology like “real mother” was de rigueur. Women who couldn’t have their “own” children were lesser, and the only reason a fertile woman wouldn’t raise her “own” child was her own inadequacy. And if she was pregnant “out of wedlock” (another popular phrase), then it was clearly all her fault. Never mind if she was only twelve." (credit:Jessie Bishop Powell)

(03 of26)

Michelle Mercurio: 'We Realized That We Couldn't Wait Any Longer To Adopt'"Our nephew is at the heart of our adoption story not because we lost him, but because of the love and connections that grew in our hearts because of him. We know now, more than ever before, that we would be compassionate parents who would fiercely love and protect a child to help him or her grow into an amazing adult." (credit:Michelle Mercurio)

(04 of26)

Adoption And Family: How Everyone Is Affected, Not Just 'Us'"As an adoptive parent, I struggled with the loss of privacy, the loss of control over this aspect of my life -- becoming a parent -- and the loss of my imagined child -- that redheaded basketball player I had expected." (credit:Elisabeth O'Toole )

(05 of26)

Jay D. Lenn, Adoptive Parent, On Helping A Child With Speech Delays Find His Voice"Biological parents cannot, of course, control everything about their children’s development. I suppose a primary difference with adoption is learning to accept that loss of control before you even start parenting." (credit:Jay D. Lenn)

(06 of26)

Searching For The Truth About My 'Grey Market' Adoption"My adoptive parents are the ones who raised me -- they changed my diapers, fed me, and listened to my terrible teenage poetry. The fact that they didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth is the only part of the past year and a half that still hurts." (credit:Tab Curtis)

(07 of26)

Gina Sampaio, Foster Parent, On Navigating The Birth Mother Relationship"I still have no guides to navigating this relationship, but at least for now, I think we’re doing alright forging our own path." (credit:Gina Sampaio)

(08 of26)

15 And Pregnant: Why I Chose To Put My Baby Up For Adoption"I knew this was why this horribly terrifying thing was happening to me. It was supposed to happen; it was my job to give someone a baby that they could not have on their own. I was strangely at peace, or at least as peaceful as you can be when you find out you are pregnant at 15." (credit:Haley )

(09 of26)

I Was Adopted As A Child, But That Doesn't Define Who I Am"Having been adopted is part of me, and will probably always have some kind of impact on me, but it doesn't need to define me. I am who I am. Does knowing I was adopted change that?" (credit:Amy Guimond)

(10 of26)

The 'Real Parents' Question To Stop Asking Adopted Kids"My real mom is an accomplished author and teacher. That’s my mom. There’s no such thing as a REAL mom and a fake mom. Sure, there’s my birthmom, but I don’t ever care or think about her. She did a very selfless thing to give me up, so why would I want to bug her? That’s incredibly selfish of me." (credit:Marianna)

(11 of26)

How My Foster Mother's Love Saved My Life"It is the love, attention and support of a parent which can make or break the people we turn out to be. Although my foster mother died when I was at a precarious age, the substance she raised me with has been a foundation upon which my life has been built." (credit:Exavier Pope )

(12 of26)

Saying Goodbye To The Foster Child I Fell In Love With"I did not enjoy a very real Rayna shattering my “mother fantasy.” I realized I subconsciously had hoped not to like her. I was forced to admit quite the opposite after that first phone conversation." (credit:Jiyer)

(13 of26)

We're Still Learning What An Open Adoption Looks Like"To be the adoptive parents there are no descriptions of your relationship with the birth family, no rules, no prescribed etiquette. There’s this tiny person who cannot talk and her mom tethering you to them and them to you. In other words -- you wing it." (credit:Sarah Werthan Buttenwieser)

(14 of26)

How Becoming A Mother Changed My Mind About My Own Adoption"I was also very aware that I was opening myself up for a potential One might ask why would I subject myself to this -- Talia was the reason. She was my only daughter and literally the only blood relative I knew at that point in my life." (credit:Bonnie S. Schwartz )

(15 of26)

What A Foster-To-Adoption Process Is Really Like"I do not think there is any amount of training that can truly prepare a person to understand the opposing elements of fostering-to-adopt, and the State’s number one goal, which is reunification of families. Sure they warn you, sure your head “understands.” Logically you can spout off to any person who will listen that it is important to keep families together. Realistically, though, to the heart, it is a different matter." (credit:Kelley Porter)

(16 of26)

Meeting Your Child's Birth Mom: When The Challenge Isn't What You Feared At All"My insecurity and fear are more real to me now than ever. I am afraid. That’s what it boils down to. I am scared. Here’s the thing, though: she gave this precious boy life and decided, for all her many reasons, that she wanted me to be his mommy. This fact doesn’t lessen her importance, in fact, it magnifies it. She did something AMAZING. Something I know I could NEVER do. And now … I am at a crossroads." (credit:Melissa Flanagan)

(17 of26)

Hearing My Adopted Son Call Me 'Dad' Was The Greatest Moment Of My Whole Life"But then the greatest moment of my whole life occurred. My son came home and came out onto the back deck where I was hanging out. We talked a little about nothing in general. Then he turned to me and said: “He is okay as a buddy, but you are my Dad.”" (credit:Bruce Ellis)

(18 of26)

The Adoption Process: Trying To Write The Perfect Letter To A Birth Mom"The next stage for us is to create our profile, our family marketing plan, if you will. It is this profile, we are told, that will attract our birth mom or birth family. This profile is our best tool to find the proverbial needle in a haystack –- a birth mom who believes we are capable of parenting her child in a way she cannot. This is beyond humbling and mythic in its emotional proportions." (credit:Sheila Quirke)

(19 of26)

Our Painful Struggle Over The Son We Desperately Wanted To Adopt"Before she went any further, I felt a warmth rush through my body. My heart started to race and I choked on tears. She hadn't said a word more but something was telling me, almost like a whisper in my ear, "This is your son. Go get him." (I still get chills when I think about it.)" (credit: Danielle )

(20 of26)

'The Click': How I Knew I'd Found The Right Family To Adopt My Baby"A few days later, I signed over my parental rights, and William became Jim and Lynn’s, legally. I cried. She cried. Everyone cried. I was so sad and empty going home without him, but I was equally relieved and happy that he was with these amazing people." (credit:Sara Hylton )

(21 of26)

I'm Still Waiting For The Stigma Of Adoption To Go Away"And those family ties count for a lot -- more than you think. Just recently I got into a discussion with someone about tracing my birth family. "Why do you need to know?" she asked. And I answered: how often have you heard or said among your family, "she looks like her dad" or "that runs in the family" or "he's just like his grandfather" or "it's in his blood."" (credit:Kathy Bright)

(22 of26)

My Friends Were Becoming Grandparents And It 'Often Felt Like A Stab In The Chest'"She was tired of the drugs, shots, doctor appointments, rude questions from people, and the whole ball of yarn. She wanted to start a family and didn’t want to wait for more tests, more failed pregnancies and more heartbreak. She certainly put things in perspective. How could I blame her for having had enough? Having had two successful pregnancies, I certainly didn’t understand entirely what she was going through both physically and emotionally. She was pursuing another specialist, but she also wanted to pursue adoption options." (credit:Nanci Stein )

(23 of26)

'We Didn't Get To Keep The Other Baby, But This One Is Ours Forever'"We are invited into the room where Cammi is with her son and her family. There is a reverent feeling and lots of tears. I sit down and then think better of it and rush over to give her the biggest hug. This girl, there are no words to express our love and gratitude." (credit:Lindsey Redfern)

(24 of26)

I Finally Understood My Birth Mom When I Gave My Own Baby Up For Adoption"There are so many things I wish I could tell you. The most important of all is that I love you. I've loved you since the day you were born, and I miss you terribly. I spend a lot of time wondering if you know that. I spend a lot of time wondering if you're happy. I pray that you are." (credit:Tamara Tranowski)

(25 of26)

Andrew, Adoptive Father: 'Love And Devotion Do Not Require The Same DNA'"I cannot imagine not being able to feel her hugs or see her smile. Her expressions of love, often in the form of a note or a picture, have always affected me. She is so very complicated, so fiercely independent, and so vulnerable. I love that she wears a storm trooper costume on Halloween and then wears footie pajamas to bed. I love when she talks about her imaginary team of unicorns that pull our car along as we drive. Mostly, I just love her." (credit:Andrew )

(26 of26)

What I Never Expected When I Met My Birth Parents"bMom broke away from bDad and ran the last few steps, grabbed me in a hug. I lost it. Tears steamed down my face. I remember seeing bDad walk up. I heard him say, “What about me?” (credit:Chad Cottle)

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