Best Gift Ever

Never been a big fan of Mother's Day. So, I do my best to stay busy and surround myself with people I love. Since we just moved into our new house about two months ago, this seemed like the perfect weekend to finish some home repairs and Spring cleaning. It's hard to find people who want to work on a Saturday, but for some reason both of these young men were available and I thought let's just get this done!

Andy was going to be repairing drywall where we had removed some electrical boxes and Jordan was hired to clean all of our widows which were too high for me to reach.

Since they were both coming over on Saturday morning, I thought the least I could do was pick up some donuts. Andy arrived first and got quickly to work patching the drywall. He told us he was 23 and liked to do this on the side to help people. He said he was going to patch the wall and then as the "mud" was drying he would go over and work on another house and then come back and finish sanding. The job was a little bigger than he thought so he kept on going and we started talking about all kinds of things. Like his family, his girlfriend, the work that he does, best taco trucks in town, and even his faith. It was a great conversation and I learned alot about this young man.

About 45 minutes later Jordan pulled up to clean the windows. He was a tall guy (6'7") and I even joked with him that he probably didn't even need a ladder. He said, "Actually, I don't." He was a talker (just like me) so it didn't take much to get him to open up. He said, he was 22 years old and had been cleaning windows for another company for the past five years. He told me they went out of business so he thought he would start his own business. He was so proud of the business cards he had printed and explained how he chose his business name. I told him that was amazing that he was so entrepreneurial. I asked him to leave some extra ones so I could give them to friends and neighbors.

He told me he was going to England with his family in June, so he was working on weekends to make some extra money for his trip. I asked him if he had a girlfriend and he said, "No, girls are different than they used to be." We talked about that for awhile and then he told me about his brothers. He shared with me that he was biracial and how he remembers the first time he looked around his church and realized no one looked like him. I told him he had the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen and not to give up on girls because he would find the right one when he's ready.

We talked awhile longer and he asked me what I did. I said, I speak about mental health and really focus on young men and even speak on military bases sometimes. He had lots of questions about that and I asked if he had someone he could talk to when times get tough. He said, he could always talk to his mom and I said that was great, but sometimes you need someone who is not a family member. We talked some more and then it was time for him to leave.

I walked him out to his car and asked if I could give him a gift. I reached into my box that has my LesliesHope Crisis Text Line Wristbands and gave him about a dozen. I explained that I hand these out whenever I speak to young people and he could share them with friends that might not have someone to talk to.

He asked if he could give me a hug and I said absolutely! As I was standing in my garage hugging this big beautiful boy, I suddenly realized how much I missed Austin's hugs. You know those big boys always give that "side hug" and it just took me back to the days when Austin would hug me that way.

As he was walking down the driveway, he looked back and said, "Would it be alright if I stop by once in awhile and just hang with you and your husband?" I told him that would be great. Just text or call to make sure we're home.

Just as he was leaving, Andy pulled back up in the drive from his lunch break. He came back in and was disappointed that the walls weren't dry enough to sand yet. He asked if he could come back over on Monday morning and finish his work? I told him I wouldn't be home but would leave the front door open and he could just come on in. I started to ask him a few questions about his weekend plans. He told me he had great parents, but his mom was in Mexico for Mother's Day, so he was going to church with his girlfriend and then out to breakfast.

He shared with me that he recently had a friend who attempted to take his own life, so he was trying to spend some time with him and has been working out with him regularly. We talked about the importance of taking care of your physcial health and how it helps your mental health. He shared with me that he mentors alot of his younger cousins (who are mostly boys.) He said there were 13 of them and he worries about them and tries to check on them. I talked about the responsiblity that puts on him and that he needs to make sure he has someone he can talk to as well. When he got ready to leave, he turned around and said, "I'm really glad I took this job today, so I could hear your story and get to know you. Thanks for what you do."

I walked him out also and asked if I could give him something for his little cousins. I reached back into the box and handed him another dozen LesliesHope Crisis Text Line Wrist bands. He thanked me and said, "I'll be back on Monday to finish my job.

My husband came home from a long bike ride after they left and I shared with him what each of the young men told me while they were working in our house. There's something about having those conversations with them that reminded me of having Austin in our house again.

Then I said, "How did we get so lucky to find two such amazing young men to come over here on a Saturday and do this work?" My husband, Keith looked at me and said, "Maybe that was your Mother's Day gift this year?"

And I honestly believe that it was....