Golden Cord and Pregnant Girlfriend

Senior year, four years of hell had pasted for this boy, scratch that, 16 years of hell had passed. He was working his butt off to support himself. Dragging his younger brother and sister to school, with his own gas money, every single day. Life was never on this boy’s side. His entire life, he dealt with the turmoil of his parent’s mistakes, the responsibility of being the one stable man in his little sister’s life, and a backbone for his mother, who was lost, depressed, and for a while, alone. His dad never showed him any attention, praise, or for that matter, much of anything, but the boy preserved on. He finally had met an amazing girl, who loved him, and he was never ashamed of his crazy family with her. The boy went to pit parties, and hung out with his friends, and was finally living life. He decided to join the Air Force, and he was to go to basic training after graduation. That was until of course, life bit him in the butt again.

A few missed periods later, and a very awkward talk with his mother, and his girlfriend’s parents, the news eventually got to me. He told me that he and his girlfriend would be expecting a baby in July. The boy began to struggle through high school. High school English class began to drag him down, as his grades slipped, and he started to believe he wouldn’t graduate. Though he never was given a good hand in cards, and would soon have his best man at his wedding give a speech based upon his bad luck. The boy somehow made it out of high school. He graduated with a golden chord and a pregnant girlfriend. He went off to basic training and came home just in time for his son to be born. Now, this boy happens to be my oldest brother, Daniel. What most high school students would consider the biggest mistake a 17-year-old could make, Dan turned into the best part of his life. Whereas other people, his age might have considered “other options” Dan never even once thought about them, and he took full responsibility for his “mistakes”.

He continued to work his butt off, and make a living out of his situation. Mistakes may have been made, but Dan’s “mistakes” turned into my beautiful nephew, Daniel jr. who my brother wouldn’t give up or trade-in for the whole world. Daniel is Dan’s pride and joy, and possibly the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Dan may have not been given the best hand at life, but he sure as hell made the best of what he was dealt.

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