As a young kid’s dad left on deployment, he began to miss his father so much. Now although nothing could replace the position his father has in his life, he missed the time they spent together. The games they played, the places they went, and other such “dad stuff” that he still wanted to do. However, now that his dad is serving his country, he and his father isn’t able to do these things anymore – so this little boy searched for a new way to do these things.
Because he missed his dad so much, Brian Kelly yearned to do the “dad stuff” he and his father, who is now in Syria serving in the Air Force, used to do. Because he wanted to feel closer to his dad while he was in the Middle East, Brian went to the neighbor, who was a family friend and made a heartwarming request.
“When Dan (Brian’s dad) gets back, Brian’s going to cry and run to him with open arms,” his mother told Happiest.
But his return was not scheduled for months. How was Brian going to cope until then?
Fortunately, Brian has a support circle around him. People care about him and his wellbeing and want to make him happy. So Brian felt comfortable turning to his neighbors Dean and Molly Cravens when he was feeling lonely.
One day Dean was doing yard work when he heard the doorbell ring. He came in the back door and walked through the house to find Brian standing on the front porch.
Brian asked if he could help Dean do the yard work. Dean was doing to refuse, but then Brian said that he used to do that kind of work with his dad. When Dean heard that, his heart melted, and he welcomed Brian into the house and got to work.
Now that Brian knows that Dean is willing to be there for him, he shows up often to do “dad stuff” with him while his father is serving the country. Brian helps clean up the yard and even stands by Dean’s side and hands him a tool when he calls for it. Because he found Dean in his moment of need, their relationship is helping Brian cope with missing his father.
Once Dean realized that Brian would be coming around often, he decided they needed to have some fun. Life isn’t all about chores after all. So Dean invited Brian to join him on some fun activities, the type dads and sons typically do together. They’ve gone for hikes in the song, gone golfing, and played basketball.
Brian’s not the only one benefiting from this relationship. Dean has three daughters and no one to play golf with. So he’s happy to take the young boy along with him on these “dad activities.”
Molly, Dean’s wife, posted a note about her husband and Brian on social media.
“This is our little neighbor. His dad is deployed in Syria, and every day he comes to the door asking to work with our dad. Appreciate today.”
What father figure do you celebrate in your life?
