My Sister

During the 90's before I came out publicly as a gay man. I lived in a small house in Bowden Alberta and for a while raised my one nephew Dale, my sister Chars second child, her first Kory was raised entirely by my parents and he still lives with them.
I remember the time I had Dale living with me, still a baby, he was so cute and just learning to walk and talk. When I first had gotten Dale, it was because Char was on another one of her drrunken stupers. If I had known then what I know now, I would have fought to keep him and raise him for my own.
Having him in my house and with me were probably the greatest time in the mid 90's, I had a cute little sports car and had to trade that in for a 4 door sedan with easy access for a carseat. I had to childproof  the house and move stuff up higher so he wouldn't get hurt.
Dale started to call me Maug after he had been with me for a while. He didn't know whether to call me Mike or Ma. It was so cute and so enduring to me to have him and see his little smile when I would get home from work and when he would get up in the morning.
So I guess I was a good parent for a short time. Dale, and his 2 younger siblings were taken away from Char in 2004 and given to foster care and I haven't seen them since. I am glad the kids were taken away from her but I wish that I would have been in a position to actually take them and give them a home with family. Some people should never have children, my sister was one of them. I guess in the end I am just happy the kids ended up in a good home and had some sort of normal upbringing, or at least I hope they did!