
A young woman’s impulse to help a grieving little girl ended up turning her life around and bringing her happiness.
How many of us can claim that destiny came knocking on our door? Yet that is what happened to Anna Uriel. In Anna’s case, destiny took the shape of a little girl with big brown eyes, her hair in a braid.
Anna answered the doorbell and found herself staring down at a little girl no more than six years old in a pretty gingham dress. “Hi sweetheart,” she said gently. “I think you have the wrong house.”

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The girl shook her head. “No, this is my mommy’s house. Please can you call her?”
“I’m sorry, hun,” Anna said. “I’m the only person who lives here.”
The child started crying. “Please, please! I need my mommy!”
“Hun, where is you daddy?” asked Anna.
“He’s at home. He says mommy’s gone forever, but I know it isn’t true. She’s here!” the girl sobbed.
Anna crouched down and looked the little girl in the eye. “Sweetie, I promise you your mommy’s not here. How about I give you some warm milk and cookies and I take you home to your daddy?”

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The girl looked up at Anna sadly. “Okay,” she whispered.
Anna turned to lead the girl into the house, but when she looked around again she was gone. Had it all been a dream? Anna walked next door and knocked on Mrs. Freman’s door.
She told Mrs. Freman about the mysterious little girl. “She vanished so quickly I almost felt it had all been a dream!” Anna concluded.
Mrs. Freman poured Anna some tea. “Your house used to belong to a little family. They had a little girl. Nice people. But the mother became very ill and after she passed away her husband sold the house. That must be the child.”
“Poor thing!” Anna sighed. “To lose her mother so young!”
“I can’t remember their name…” Mrs. Freman said. “It’s my memory…But the little girl… Her name was Cassie!”

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“Cassie,” Anna said. “If she comes back, I’ll call the police, take her home. She’s much too young to be wandering the streets alone.” But Cassie didn’t come back and Anna’s life continued as planned.
Anna had always believed in making plans. She’d planned to marry at 25 and to become a mother at 28, but for four years she and her husband had tried to conceive, and still there was no baby.
After a lot of painful treatments, Anna became pregnant, but sadly, she lost her baby when he was only a month old. The doctors told her her chances of having another were slim to none.
Her husband told her quite frankly that being childless was not in his plans, and he didn’t want to adopt. He walked out and left Anna devastated and alone with her shattered dreams.

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So Anna could understand Cassie’s pain, the empty place in her life and in her arms where her baby should be. Anna knew how hard it is to let go. She hoped Cassie would come back, but months went by without a visit.
Then one winter evening, there was a knock on her door. There in the doorway stood Cassie huddled in a winter coat, tears freezing on her little cheeks. “Please, lady, I really need my mommy. Daddy’s on the floor and I can’t wake him up. Please, please call my mommy!”
Anna was horrified. She grabbed her coat and her purse. “Honey, Cassie, right? Can you show me where your daddy is?”
Destiny can bring happiness to our door when we least expect it.
The child smiled radially up at Anna. “I knew you’d remember me, mommy! Come!” and she tugged urgently on Anna’s hand and led her to an apartment building three blocks away.

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Anna found the front door open, and lying in the middle of a squalid room was an unconscious man. She tried to shake him awake. He stank of alcohol! She dragged him off the floor and onto the couch and walked into the kitchen. It was a disgrace.
Anna set a pot of coffee brewing and started to clean up. Cassie followed her. “Mommy, are you going to make cookies? I’ve missed your cookies!”
“Cassie, I’m not your mommy, but I’ll make you some cookies,” Anna told the little girl. Over the next hour, Anna restored some much-needed order to the apartment and popped a tray of cookies into the oven.
Soon the delicious aroma of cookies and coffee filled the house. Anna filled a mug with coffee and went back to the man. She shook him. “Wake up!” she ordered, “Your daughter needs you!”
The man opened swollen eyes and for a moment his face reflected a dawning hope. “Bess?” he whispered.

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“I’m Anna, and your daughter came knocking on my door looking for her mother.” Anna’s voice was harsh. “She needs her father, so sober up and pull yourself together!”
The man struggled up off the couch. “I don’t need you or your help! Get out”
“I’m not here for you, you fool. I’m here for Cassie.” Anna snapped. “And remember, while you were here wallowing in self-pity she was knocking on a stranger’s door.”
Anna kissed Cassie goodbye and walked out. She never imagined she’d see Cassie or her awful dad ever again, but a week later, there was a knock on her door. A tall handsome man was standing there.

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“Hi,” he said nervously. “I wanted to thank you and to apologize…”
“I’m sorry,” Anna said bewildered. “Who are you?”
The man blushed. “I’m Jeffrey, Cassie’s dad. I wanted to thank you for what you did for Cassie — and for me. I was so lost in my grief I didn’t realize what Cassie was going through.”
Anna smiled. “It’s okay, I know how hard it is to pull through those dark days.”

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Jeffrey looked into Anna’s sad eyes. “You lost someone too?”
“My son,” Anna whispered, tears in her eyes. “After he died, my husband left…”
From then on, Anna started visiting Cassie and Jeffrey and the three of them helped each other through their grief. One day, Anna and Jeffrey discovered they were in love — Cassie already knew — and they got married.
Two years later, Anna was blessed by an unexpected miracle. She discovered she was pregnant and she and Jeffrey welcomed a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Cassie became the proudest big sister in the world.

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What can we learn from this story?
- Destiny can bring happiness to our door when we least expect it. Anna was sad and lonely until Cassie knocked on her door looking for her mother.
- Sometimes a wake-up call can turn a life around. Anna’s visit showed Jeffrey he had to stop grieving and focus on his daughter.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a young widower who refused to allow his dead wife’s family to have contact with her daughter.
86-Year-Old Claudia Cardinale Proves You Don’t Need Surgery to Look Stunning

Claudia Cardinale, a well-known actress, has acknowledged aging with conviction and grace, stating that one cannot “stop time.” Look at the seasoned actress’s incredible growth throughout time.
Italian actress Claudia Cardinale was rather well-known in Hollywood during its prime. She has starred in more than 100 movies during the course of her illustrious career; the years 1960 to 1970 were her busiest.
In just one decade, she acted in over thirty films, including beloved series like “8½” (1963), “The Leopard” (1963), and “The Professionals” (1966), in which she costarred with Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster.
One of her best performances is in the cult classic “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968), directed by Sergio Leone. When asked about her memories of working with Leone, Cardinale mentioned in an interview that he had a unique working style.
She added that he would have the actors listen to the score before filming a scene, and that he would have the music created before shooting started. The Tunisian native said, “My main advantage was that I didn’t ask to go to Hollywood, they called me,” when discussing her acting career in the United States.

Hollywood studios scurried to grab hold of any emerging star during that period, with the aim of controlling all the rising talent. They regularly offer actors restrictive contracts to sign, which could eventually hinder their careers.
But Cardinale managed to block her own path. She accepted one contract at a time, refusing to sign an exclusive agreement with Universal. She was able to continue her profession and move in the industry at her own pace as a result.
Cardinale made her mark in “The Pink Panther” and “The Professionals” during her three years in Hollywood. She also appeared on screen with notable actors like Rock Hudson in “Blindfold” and with John Wayne and Rita Hayworth in “Circus World.”

She also had the opportunity to mingle with a number of Hollywood heavyweights, including Steve McQueen, Barbara Streisand, and Warren Beatty.
The two films that Cardinale debuted at Cannes in 1961 were Mauro Bolognini’s “The Lovemakers,” in which she costarred with Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Valerio Zurlini’s “Girl With a Suitcase,” in which she portrayed a self-reliant singer.
She returned to the Croisette in 1963 with two landmark pictures, “8½” by Federico Fellini and “The Leopard” by Luchino Visconti.The well-known actress confirmed in an interview that she shot both movies simultaneously.
Cardinale revealed that whereas Visconti preferred her to have black hair, Fellini preferred a golden appearance. Cardinale had very long hair at the time. Every two weeks, she had to change the color of her hair to suit their different opinions.

After that, Cardinale started a three-year career producing Hollywood films, appearing in two of them as co-stars alongside Rock Hudson, namely “Blindfold” and “Lost Command.”
She disclosed, “At the time, Universal wanted me to sign an exclusive contract,” about this encounter. Yet I responded, “No, I’m European.” I’m returning. However, they persisted a lot!
Unlike many other women, Cardinale has never participated in a nude scene. Aside from her work in movies, she is totally committed to women’s issues and has no desire in getting cosmetic surgery.
In an interview, she once disclosed, “I have never engaged in face-lifting—what do you think? similar things. “Wait until you are older; you will always be smiling,” my mother used to remark. It is accurate. Why then would you conceal it?

The actor is still heavily involved in the entertainment business; at one point, his film “And Now…Ladies and Gentlemen” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival outside of competition.
Her final motion picture role was in the Italian-Tunisian production “The Island of Forgiveness.”At the age of 77, Cardinale said of her continuous appearance on television, “The most important thing is to stay active.” Since time cannot be stopped, I dislike all of these facelifts and plastic surgery procedures.
The “All Roads Lead to Rome” actress was the 1957 winner of the title of “Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia.” See how the 86-year-old actress has changed throughout the years to showcase her breathtaking beauty.
Cardinale’s career spans several decades, demonstrating her enduring brilliance, grace, and fortitude. One of the most recognizable stars of Hollywood’s heyday, she has inspired others to embrace honesty and inherent beauty in addition to leaving a lasting impression on the motion picture business.
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