SHADYLANE BLOG: My life took a turn

It had been just the three of us for the last 5 years. My mom, my little brother Micah and I. We lived in a little apartment in a tiny town called Fruitvale in British Columbia, Canada. It was a lovely, quiet little life. We rode bikes and roller bladed down the hallway in the apartment building. We built snow forts and made special friends and went in service with Mom. I had the dryer in my bedroom and the deep freeze in my closet, and Micah had a custom bed in the storage room. It was a delightful life.

And then it all changed. It all got better.

Because of this guy.

We met Tim in May of 1995 at the dedication of our Kingdom Hall in Fruitvale. He was the brother of someone in our congregation and she wanted my mom to meet him. I remember waiting and waiting at the Hall afterwards while they visited. We were the last ones to leave. I was 8 years old at the time.

And then they started dating long distance…lots of late night phone calls and surprise visits with big bouquets of flowers. Micah and I went up north to visit our dad for the summer and things got serious. Tim proposed in September and then began the big changes.

One of the biggest things was where we were going to live. Tim was from Omak, WA in the United States and we were from Canada. We were moving to the States! There was lots of paperwork to do, and visits to the immigration office…pictures with no smiles for our cards, and getting used to different money. That’s a lot when you’re 8 years old.

And it wasn’t just Tim we were adding to our family…he had 3 kids of his own. And so once they got married and we made our move, there were 7 of us now. Mom, Dad, me, Micah and our new siblings: Michael, Shelby and Kelsey.

And I’ve been his Shadylane ever since. We have developed a really special bond and friendship. He helped guide and mold me into who I am today, despite my “tendencies.” He taught me how to laugh, deep belly laughs and how to grow through trials. He helped me get to know and love Jehovah. He taught me about hard work and led by example. He is the best listener and he loves me like his own.

I am proud to call him my Dad and and so glad that he came into our lives and drastically changed them…for the better.