Daddies Make Everything Better
By Kristen Collier
When I got married in February, my husband, children’s author/illustrator Kevin Scott Collier, adopted my nine-year-old son, Jarod. Jarod waited his whole life to have a father and boy did he luck out. He got the father “most kids would kill for.” At the tender age of 37, I laugh when I find out that my parents are now telling people who aren’t yet married to not worry about it, because their daughter found someone so late in life. I just have to laugh because it’s funny that they’re now using me as an example to not give up on love!
It’s Friday at 7:22 P.M and my boys are out on “Guys Night Out.” Jarod has gone from not having a dad, and playing a bit with his grandfather, to every day rough-housing and a regular, weekly boy’s night out. Kevin plays with him every day, something most birth fathers don’t even do. And they both are VERY active, so they run around to all sorts of parks, playing basketball, building dams in creeks, going to the mall, going out to eat. In fact, Jarod gets a weekly night out with his dad and I don’t even get that!
It’s a mother’s dream come true.
Jarod was a boy in a rut. We lived with my folks in Ohio before Kev and I got married. He lived in Michigan. When Jarod and I moved up to Michigan we were so excited. Jarod just kept saying how much he loved Kevin and that he just wants to be with him. He would give up everything just to have a dad.
But Jarod indeed gained the world. In the seven weeks since we married, Jarod is blossoming into the most precious, inspired, confident young man. He constantly climbs on Kevin, hugging him non-stop.
“Dad’s make everything better.”
“I feel like we’ve been together forever!”
“We’ve done more in the last few weeks than I’ve done in my whole life!”
It’s things like this that make me praise God for His providence. I can’t be happier. Not only do I have my soul mate, a man who loves me more than his own life, but my son has the father of his dreams.
So tell all your unmarried friends and relatives, “Don’t give up!” If I can find someone, they can, too.
And especially, tell all the single parents that you know to hold on. Help is on the way. God never let Jarod down and now He’s given him the best father he could ever want. Kevin has changed Jarod’s life. He used to be in a rut, just passing time. I tried as hard as I could, but he just needed a dad, and there was nothing I could do about that.
Now the boy is becoming a man. He’s a boy transformed. He climbs trees and builds dams with his dad. He launches himself into Kevin’s arms and Kevin actually catches him! It’s a sight to see! He crawls all over Kevin and say a gazillion times a day, “I love you, Daddy!” He is happier than he’s ever been.
Yes, daddies do make everything better. Jarod’s heavenly Daddy made sure of that.