A little over eight years ago, my nephew was born. At the time I was 12 years old and I could hardly fathom the idea of being an aunt! Part of me was excited while the rest of me resented my older sister for ripping away my “baby of the family status.”
When I held my nephew for the first time in the hospital I remember looking down at him thinking, “Why the hell does this kid have arms and legs that resemble a spider monkey?” I wasn’t sure what to think of him so I quickly passed him on to the next person. Fortunately, my “ew, a baby” phase died out rather quickly and I fell in love with being an aunt. My nephew, Troy, became the center of my world and he was one of the biggest blessings my family has ever received.
Unfortunately one person saw Troy as a burden; His biological father. My sister tried to make things work but some relationships just aren’t meant to be repaired. She soon realized (on her own and with the help of my parents) that she would be better off, as would Troy.
But this isn’t about my sister raising Troy. This isn’t even about my family helping to raise Troy. In fact, this is about a man who wasn’t even part of the family until a little over four years ago.
This is about a man who stepped up.
My sister started dating Jacob over four years ago. I was skeptical of him at first and needless to say, I was highly concerned. Who was this guy? Has he ever been around kids? Does he know how to raise a child? Is this going to work out? All I could do was worry about if my nephew was going to be taken care of.
Fast forward another four years. Troy is now eight years old and is happily living with my sister and Jacob.
Jacob has stepped up to fill the role of Troy’s father and for that, I will be forever thankful. I don’t worry about Troy’s well-being because I know he is being taken care of.
I’m sure it’s not always easy helping raise a child that is not biologically his, as he is vulnerable to receive an immense amount of criticism, but that hasn’t stopped Jacob. Nothing has stopped him from loving Troy as his own and making sure my nephew has everything he needs. Words will never be able to truly describe the appreciation my family has for Jacob.
“The one who raises a child is a father… Not the one who helped make the child and then left.”
