Singer-songwriter Michael McDonald, known for his successful solo career as well as his musical career with both the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, has reunited with the son he placed for adoption six decades ago.

Key Takeaways:

  • Michael Goessling's quest to find his biological parents brought him face to face with the famous singer-songwriter, Michael McDonald.

  • Goessling had always known he was adopted and wondered about his birth parents, while McDonald had also been wondering about Goessling for nearly 60 years.

  • Goessling was born when his parents were just 14 years old, and they placed him for adoption despite the emotional pain it caused them.

  • McDonald called the opportunity to meet his son and grandchildren a "wonderful, wonderful experience," adding, "What a gift... Adoption is a wonderful option."

The Backstory:

According to First Alert 4, Michael Goessling knew he was adopted but was unaware of who his biological parents were. After taking a 23andMe DNA test, he found the connections he was looking for.

"Always knew I was adopted," he told First Alert 4. "Had a wonderful childhood. I could not pick two finer folks to raise me."That couple, Paul and Kay Goessling, adopted him and raised him in St. Louis after his biological parents, both 14 at the time, chose to place him for adoption.

While his childhood was stable and happy, Goessling did wonder where he came from. WIthin 36 hours of taking the DNA test, he received an email about a half-brother. From there, he met his birth mother in person.

As for his biological father, he met him over a phone call. During their conversation, Goessling asked his father what he did for a living. He told him he was a musician and that he was about to go on a tour that would take him through St. Louis.

"And I said, 'Are you Michael McDonald?' And he said, 'Yeah, I'm afraid so," recalled Goessling.

The Details:

McDonald has had a long and successful musical career as a singer-songwriter both with the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, and later embarked on a solo career.

All of this came after he conceived a child when he was only 14 years old. He and Goessling's biological mother remained friends and both wondered about their son over the years.

McDonald said:

"We always talked about him. And it always came down to our greatest fear was, how did life treat him? I always carried that guilt with me.

But just to know that he was okay and that he had a good life, and a life certainly that I wouldn't have been able to afford him at that time, was a great reward. The real rock stars in this story are his adoptive parents."

When McDonald and Goessling, whose first names are coincidently Michael, finally met in person, McDonald was able to meet his grandchildren too.

"When he first saw me, he put his arms out, gave me a big old bear hug and told me he loved me, and I told him the same," said Goessling.

McDonald added, "It was a wonderful, wonderful experience to see Michael and to get to meet my son after all these years thinking about him."

As for meeting the daughter-in-law and grandkids he didn't know he had, he said, "Yeah, I'm still wrapping my head around that. My daughter-in-law is just the daughter-in-law you'd hope for. And the kids are two of the greatest kids you'd ever meet. I'm just so proud of them."

He added, "What a gift... Adoption is a wonderful option."

The Bottom Line:

In a FaceTime call, Goessling was sure to tell McDonald, "I really appreciate you giving me a shot in this world."

And that sums of the gift of adoption. A pregnant 14-year-old today would likely be expected to have an abortion or even be pressured or forced to do so, causing her untold pain alongside the death of her child.

But placing a child for adoption (which is not the same as foster care), while emotionally painful for the biological parents, allows the child to live his life.

Adoption is not perfect, but it exists to help heal wounds and give the child his best chance possible, while opening the door to a beautiful future family reunion.