guess who graduates from college this May?

April and May finds us always busy with communions

and graduations.

This May our family will make the trip to Ruston

to wish good luck to my Great-nephew, Bronson

as he graduates from college.

When you talk about "against all odds"

this is what I think about when I begin to think about all

this boy has overcome to graduate from college.

He is the son of my niece, Toya and her highschool love, Sam.

Toya is the daughter of my brother, Peter and his

highschool love. Without going into a big

explanation that may not be all correct

I will just say that Toya was born to her mother

while my brother was in Vietnam.

Her mother moved on and married someone else

so Toya only became a big part of our lives

after her Mother died of breast cancer.

She was a teenager then and not long after

Toya found herself pregnant with Bronson.

Such is life that this child, Bronson knew to be his own.

My sister-in-law, Cheryl took Toya under her wing

during this pregancy to teach her all the makings of

taking care of a little baby.

Toya's life was complicated but I have always admired

her for the fact that when she couldn't be her best for

her oldest child, she did the marathon thing and

allowed his father, Sam to raise him.

Isn't that true unconditional love when

you realize you are not the best thing for your

child at the time and you allow the healthier

parent to do the job until you get yourself together

so you can be the best for him.

Because of this extraordinary love this child, now a man

has beaten all the odds and soon will be a college graduate.

Sam and Toya have done an amazing job with this child.

Toya, who once she got her life settled was

100% his mother, remaining thankful even to today

of all everyone did to help her raise this child.

Toya stepped up to the plate in the last 10 years to not

be just a single parent but a coparent with Sam

to give Bronson what he needed to succeed.

All us mothers are proud of our children

but to hear Toya speak of her first born,

well it is in awe of all he has achieved,

all she prayed and wished for and more.

I have very few regrets in my life

but one is that I was not more a part of Bronson's growing

up years. At the time I was busy raising my own children,

not as courageous as I am now.

However all of us, when we had the chance let him

know, spoke of how much we loved him.

I am so proud of this boy and will be

in Ruston on May 22nd to celebrate with his Collins

family to once again let him know just how important

he is to all of us.

His wonderful girlfriend, Cassi is a lucky girl

to have the love of this fine man,

for he has seen the world through a different set

of eyes, he is wise beyond his years.

In a life that he could have chosen the easy

road of "just making it"

or striving for the best,

he took the harder road.

He is an amazing brother to his little brother,

Dane and he will be a wonderful father taking

the lessons he has learned from all the adults

in his life to make him the man he is today.

I am so darn proud of this nephew of mine.

Good luck, my love, good luck!