My daughter is five years older than my son, and when she started dating, it sort of made her little brother feel a bit left out. They had prior to that been best friends and spent most of their free time together. As teenage girls do, my daughter “liked” a new boy every other week or so, but only a few made their way around our family. But when she was a junior, she started “liking” a boy named Ethan. When Ethan started coming around, it was different in many ways. He and my daughter really seemed to enjoy each other’s company, but what struck me most is how he befriended my little boy and treated him just as if he were his own little brother. Even after the teenage romance ended a couple of years later, Ethan and my son have remained great friends. I hope that happens for the boy in the story below. It may be fictional but it’s so sweet. Enjoy.
My youngest son has a type of congenital myopathy that makes him very weak. While he can walk, he can’t run or jump and falls down a lot. Needless to say, he finds this very humiliating (he is 16).
We were at a restaurant and my son was standing next to me with untied shoelaces. Unfortunately, he tripped and, due to his weakness, could not catch himself, crashing heavily to the ground in the middle of a crowded restaurant.
My daughter’s boyfriend, without missing a beat, immediately lay down next to him on the floor and asked him “How is it going down here,” and otherwise made some small talk to ease some of my son’s embarrassment.
He has always treated my son like his little brother but that selfless act was unforgettable.
Needless to say, I have loved him like a son ever since.
