My Nephew...

My nephew, Tristan, is a High School Senior this year.  This is his senior photo:

He looks so much like my dad when he was his age although my dad didn't have as long of hair as he has.  Tristan is an amazing young man who can make such a great future for himself.  All he has to do is work hard to make it happen for himself.  He's so smart.  I would even go as far as to say brilliant.  He hasn't applied himself as he should in recent years to his studies to have the grades that I know he would be having if he put in the hard work.  When he really applies himself it amazes me the grades he's made and in advanced courses too.  He was in advanced classes in most all of his subjects leading into high school.  Even though he's let things go in his high school years I still believe so much in all that he can accomplish in this life by just applying himself and putting in the hard work.  

It was never my heart that he be raised as cheerless as me and my siblings were raised but it happened.  I so wanted to raise him when my sister couldn't but she wouldn't give up parental rights to him so my husband and I could.  His life right now would be in a whole other place if we had been given the chance to raise him like we have raised our son.  He would have had all the same opportunities afforded him that our son has had and his life would be in such a great place as he graduates and starts thinking about his future and what that will be.  

Tristan is so handsome.  He can be and accomplish anything that he wants in life.  It's my prayer that he finds his footing and figures out what it is that he really wants to do and that when he figures it out that we will be able to help him accomplish his goals to make a better life himself than the one that has been dealt to him.   

We don't have to be the product of a negative upbringing.  We can make better decisions that lead to a more promising future.  We can press forward to better days than what we've had.  We can determine within ourselves to have better lives and if we bring a baby into the world that we do better by that child than was done to us.  We can have a hope and a future that is way better than where we came from.  I'm living proof that having a better life can happen.  My son is living proof that I broke chains off my life that had me bound that he's never had to experience.  He has total support from his dad and I.  Tristan can have that too but he will have to do as I had to do and break chains that are binding him and make a future for himself that's better than what he's coming out of as his graduates and goes out into this world.  

I'm praying and hoping for the best for this young man. I'm praying and hoping that his uncle and I will be able to help him make a more positive future for himself when he's ready to put in the work and make positive changes in his life for a brighter future.