My Mr Guy
Kaden,
You made me a Grandpa. Always been so proud of you. You gave me so many memories in 21 short years. I still remember our first walk in the Park with your Mom, your first French Fry at the Bone Yard. Remember how I called you Mr Guy?
You always were willing to help. Remember all of the hunting adventures we had? I know you are now sharing them with Big Grandpa and Uncle Joe.
You were always smiling and always greeted me with a big hug, the best hugs. I miss you so much.
My heart is broken, you will always be with me.
Please don’t run out of those hugs, the best one will be the one when I see you again.
Love Grandpa
A bond like no other
From the very beginning, there was Lindsay and Kaden.
For the first two years of Kaden’s life, it was just the two of them. They built a bond during those years that would never be broken. Then they invited me into their lives and gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for—the opportunity to be Kaden’s dad. When Kaden was around six years old, I was blessed to officially adopt him, and he became a Zachar.
But no matter how our family grew, there was always something incredibly special about the relationship between Kaden and his momma.
They protected each other.
Lindsay spent Kaden’s entire life protecting him, guiding him, and making sure he always knew that he could come to her for anything. She had this incredible ability to listen without judging and to give advice without overreacting. It was almost like a sixth sense or superpower. She knew when Kaden needed advice, when he needed someone to listen, and sometimes when he simply needed his mom.
The love she had for Kaden was unlike anything I have ever witnessed.
And Kaden loved and protected his momma just as fiercely.
When Kaden was little, if I was fake wrestling with Lindsay or tickling her and she started yelling for help, Kaden would come running to make sure his mom was okay. As he got older, he taught his little brothers to do the same thing. Eventually, whenever I would tickle Lindsay and she would start yelling, all three boys would come running out together like a little gang, ready to protect Mom.
Those moments always made us laugh, but they also showed something that was deeply rooted in Kaden from the time he was a little boy:
Nobody messed with his momma.
That continued as he grew older. Kaden would never allow one of his friends to disrespect his mom. If someone crossed that line, he immediately made sure they knew it wasn’t okay. His love, loyalty, and respect for Lindsay were unwavering.
And Kaden never left his mom wondering how he felt about her.
Throughout his childhood, school projects were filled with words about how much he loved and appreciated his mom. As he became a young man, those school projects turned into little handwritten notes left around the house, in her car, or by the coffee pot—small reminders telling her that he loved her and hoping she had a good day.
Those little notes may have seemed simple at the time.
Today, they are priceless.
They are reminders of something Kaden made sure Lindsay knew throughout his entire life:
“Momma, I love you.”
Their relationship was something rare. It wasn’t perfect because no relationship is, but the love underneath it was unconditional. Lindsay was Kaden’s safe place, his protector, his listener, and his momma. Kaden was her first baby, her protector, and a piece of her heart walking around outside of her.
For the first two years, it was Lindsay and Kaden against the world.
Then our family grew. Kaden became my son, a Zachar, a big brother, and eventually a young man. But that original bond between a mother and her little boy never disappeared.
It simply grew with them.
There are relationships in life that time, distance, and even death cannot erase. The bond between Lindsay and Kaden is one of them.
Kaden spent his life making sure his momma knew how much he loved her.
And Lindsay spent his life making sure he knew exactly the same.
That is their story.
A mother and her son.
Two people who protected one another, believed in one another, and loved one another with everything they had.
Lindsay & Kaden — a bond like no other, a love without an ending.
