Our "son"

So, it has been brought to our attention that some of Vernon's family are having a hard time with the fact that we call Anthony our son....

A little background - Anthony was living with his grandparents and got kicked out. His biological mom called Vernon to come get him and helped him pack his stuff. Vernon picked him up and brought him home. We sat him down and told him that if he was going to be a part of this family, it was going to be all the way. There would be no getting out. He would be given certain responsibilities and privelages and we would expect him to withhold his end of the deal and behave as a member of this family. He would be on the same level as our other children and he would treat us with the upmost respect. After we obtained full legal custody, (His dad signed over custody and he was emancipated from his mom and then he declared Vernon and I as his legal guardians) we sat him down again. We told him that now that he was a member of this family, he was in it for good. He could never do anything bad enough to get "kicked" out and we would love him unconditionally. But he would be expected to act like a member of this family and be someone the younger ones could look-up too (The model of good behavior).

Well, I feel as if we deserve to be considered more than Aunt and Uncle. Aunts and Uncles don't normally provide their nephews with a roof over their heads, food on their plates, water to bathe with and heat or AC to stay warm or cool everyday. They don't teach them to drive, take them for their licenses and then let them drive the only family transportation that holds the whole family. They don't hold them when they are close to tears after totaling out the truck and help them get their own vehicle. They don't put their name on the insurance policy and pray for the best. Aunts and Uncles are usually not the only ones to sit through long awards ceremonies, but know it's worth it when his named is called. They're not the ones to break bad news or hold them when they cry over deaths in the family. Aunts and Uncles usually don't see their nephews off to prom and slip them money for dinner. They're not the ones to stay up late most nights waiting for their nephew to get home from work and worrying when he is a little late. They don't sit down with an Army recruiter and watch as their nephew makes a huge commitment that will effect his whole future and Aunts and Uncles are usually not required to sign too. They don't pay all their school dues and pay for their cap and gown. They don't see them off to graduation and have him come home to them. Aunts and Uncles are not the only ones to show up to see him off to boot camp where noone will see him for 9 weeks. And Aunts and Uncles are not the only ones planning a trip to see him graduate from boot camp and become of a member of the United States Army...

We are much more than just an Aunt and Uncle, but we are not his bioloigical parents. Whatever he wants to call us if fine, but don't get mad at me if I refer to him as my son.