I'd Rather Be a Buffalo

A LIFE BUILT ON UNANSWERED QUESTIONS…

At ten years old, Doug Riggle’s world turned upside down when he learned he was adopted. The revelation ignited a lifelong search—for identity, for belonging, and for understanding that always seemed just out of reach. His relationship with his adoptive father was marked by turbulence, his heart by a quiet ache. Yet in the midst of the chaos, he stumbled upon an unexpected anchor: a faith that promised healing. For a time, the pieces fit. He found true friendships, built a career, and even adopted a son of his own—Richie—determined to rewrite the story of fatherhood.

THEN THE GROUND GAVE WAY. Richie’s suicide shattered Doug’s hard-won peace. The grief was a tidal wave, dragging him back into old questions: Where was God? Had any of his healing mattered? In the wreckage, Doug faced a choice: succumb to the darkness or let his brokenness become a bridge—for himself, for others, and for a God who meets us in the ruins.

THE REDEMPTION HE NEVER SAW COMING. This is Doug’s story of wrestling with grace. Of reuniting with birth parents and extended families, only to confront new layers of forgiveness. Of learning that adoption wasn’t his wound—it was his calling. And of discovering, in the aftershocks of loss, that the most powerful testimonies aren’t born in triumph, but in the raw, unfinished spaces where we whisper, “I don’t understand… but I’ll trust You anyway.”

For anyone who’s ever felt orphaned by life, doubted God’s plan, or loved someone struggling in the shadows, Doug’s journey is proof: even the deepest scars can become sacred ground.

Because sometimes, the most beautiful stories are the ones we’d never choose to live.