"A father isn't defined as the man who makes the child, but rather the man who extends his hands and time to help with the child's raising and his heart to love the child through anything"
I never thought that this would hold so true to me. We're raised with this image of how a family is suppose to be made. You meet a girl, fall in love, get married, start and raise a family, but life has its ways of not following any defined rules. Sure I met a girl and fell in love but at the same time I met her son and fell in love with him as well. Overnight I went from being single and caring only about myself to being willing to lay down my life for a son who by blood wasn't even mine.
It takes a special type of person accept that role and accept that responsibility. It's not an easy path to choose. You deal with the fact that you missed so many firsts, with the issues from the biological parent whether it's trying to poison the child's mind to refusing to pay child support to any combination you can imagine. But sometimes you just know. You know that no matter what hell you have to go through its all worth it. You stand up when others sit down. You cherish your firsts, the first time they slip up and call you daddy or mommy, the first time they look at you and say they want to keep you forever. It's a struggle and its a fight but you'll never want it any other way.
To those of you who have made that choice to step up, kudos! Remember it won't always be easy, but when things really get tough look at your son or look at your daughter and remember nothing will ever change that love you two share.