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I love my new instant family. I have loved each and every one of them since the moment we met. Scottie, age 7, and Lexi, age 5, have never had a productive relationship with their biological father. Some people would say that makes our journey together much simpler because I'm not competing with another father figure in their past or present. I won't argue that point. Most days it is as though we have always been one fluid family unit. Not ever having a meaningful father figure before me does create its own challenges. The only man they've ever learned to respect is their "Papa" (my wife's step-father). I have had to teach them what it means to respect. That is our most predominant issue at this time. The respect problem is not just about respecting other people. It's also about respecting other peoples personal property. They weren't blessed with alot of material goods before me either. Now that they have more things and a decent house (military housing has come a long ways), they don't know anything about respecting it.

The hardest part about our new family unit is that I expect things to be so much different from the way my wife used to raise the kids when it was just her. I know some will think that I'm being cold to the situation she was in. That is just not the case. I realize that raising two young children by yourself is hard. Now we are struggling though to break all the old habits.

Patience is the most important tool I have in my belt. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you I'm not a patient person. I find myself sleeping a lot less these days. I go to bed pondering on just how we're going to correct whatever new issue came up that day. It is well worth it though. I've never felt such undying love since my parents. I can't tell you how much I thank God every day for bring this instant family together.

Learn more about this author, David Smith.
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