I cared for a boy when I was in my twenties who was about 9 years old. His mom had passed away about a year before. He had a twin brother and an older brother who could not talk. His older brother stopped talking after his mom died. They were raised in a household full of abuse and mistreatment. It was the kind of place where they showed no love, you know? I was technically a part of that family. But at the time, I was on my own mission. I was using drugs and I was drinking alcohol. So when I came around to see these boys, I helped them the best that I could.
I let them know that I loved them but I didn’t stay around a lot to protect them the way they needed to be protected. I’m telling you this story because that 9-year-old boy has grown up and is a young man today. He is very independent. I imagined he would be standing on a corner somewhere today twirling his thumbs because he didn’t understand the life that he had to go through. Some people misconstrue their lives because of how they were treated. They no longer know how to go forward and be a man or a woman. They might not know how to take control of their lives and get it together.
But this young man came back into my life recently. He is 29 years old and works two jobs. He does very well for himself. He also has a son. We’ve been talking every day for about two months now. He remembers me even though I did drugs and I was doing alcohol at the time. At the end of it all, he knows that I was there for him.
I remember how these boys were determined to get out of their household because of the abuse. All of them ended up leaving.
So, I just wanted to tell y’all that you know, anybody can overcome anything. You don’t have to be rich or poor. You don’t have to be you know, the greatest, smartest person in the world. Even though this young man knows a lot of things, he helps me out in different ways and in all kinds of situations. I’m not saying he’s a brainiac. But I’m saying he’s able to help me with a lot of things that I need in my life. And I appreciate it very much. This is why I’m writing this story. To let him know that I love him and I appreciate him. And I want to thank him for standing beside me.
