Chad and Desmon:

I'm writing this post in tribute to my son, Chad.
Chad is an amazing young man with a heart of gold.  He loves people and is very friendly and caring.  Even as a child, he loved to hug everyone.  In first grade, he would get to school and run up and hug his friends when he saw them.  They didn't know what to think of another boy hugging them and felt uncomfortable.  I hated to hurt Chad's feelings, but I had to tell him other little kids don't always like to be hugged.
To this day, if he says his Grandpa, he walks up and gives him a big hug.  It doesn't matter how many people are around.  He was the same way with Grandpa Andy.  And there is never a time I'm around him, I don't get a big hug and "I love you, Mom".
Chad is now taking care of friend's eight year old son.  He has temporary custody.  Chad and Desmon's Mom have never been boyfriend/girlfriend.  She was just someone in need.  A few years ago, she was living out of her car with Desmon.  Chad took them in until she could get back on her feet.  Last Summer she was struggling with some life issues and asked Chad if he'd take Desmon for while.  How many 35 year old men would take on someone else's child?  It's simple, Chad loves children and he especially loves Desmon.  Taking on Desmon also meant taking on a little boy with trust issues and behavior problems.  Chad is so patient with him.  Desmon is a very loving little boy and comes up and gives us a big hug when we see him.  Uh, something just clicked in my brain (scary, I know  lol) but this is behavior is copying after Chad!  Hopefully, he will take on more of Chad's traits and learn to trust more.  We all love Desmon.  Desmon calls Cash his cousin and also calls him Cashy.  He was in awe at Cash's baptism.
Chad has taken in so many over the years.  In High School, one of his friends from Newburg parents moved to CA mid-year of his Senior Year.  Chad met Paul at RTI in Rolla.  Naturally, Chad asked if Paul could move in with us.  Paul still calls Dwayne and I Pa and Ma.  Paul's cousin, T.J. moved down from Washington.  He needed a place to stay, T. J. stayed with us for a few months.  Both Paul and T.J. if they see us in town call us Grandma and Grandpa to their kids.  It confuses the kids as they only see us about once a year but to us it feels like quite an honor.
Once Chad moved out on his own, he continued to give friends or cousins a place to live while they were going through hard times.  This in quite a financial burden as Chad doesn't make that much money.  Just like the Good Samaritan, Chad just keeps on helping people.
I am so proud of my son and so grateful for his caring ways.  It's been a pleasure to have Desmon in our lives and to call us Mr. Dwayne and Miss Connie.

I am grateful for my son and his kind ways.