The Longest Shortest Time

EPISODE #167: Welcome Home! Meet the Mongoose

When Gretchen was 32, she was living in a small town on the tip of the Big Island in Hawaii. It was the 1970s, and she was making good money working nights as a wine sommelier at a swanky hotel.

That’s when she decided she was ready to be a mom. So… she just did it! As a single mom, Gretchen went ahead and adopted a 9-year-old girl from Korea named Meera.

Tune in to hear how Gretchen took the leap into becoming a single mom, and what it was like for Meera to adjust to her new life (and a new housemate) in Hawaii.

Now in her 70’s, Gretchen compares her approach to adoption like leaping into a river from a high cliff. She knows she should have checked the water below for rocks first… but can you ever really know what you’re getting into when you become a parent?