When my sister Darlene died she left an eleven year old son. Devin Austin Patterson was adopted when he was three. For eight years Darlene loved him and lived for him. Doctors had told her she would not live long six years ago. Her physical conditions included a heart attack requiring stents, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problem), diabetes, gout, anemia etc. etc. We all believed she lived to raise Devin. And raise she did. At eleven, Devin is mature, kind, polite, and very smart. And most importantly he is a christian. Devin placed his faith in Jesus three years ago. That is why he was able to accept his mother's death. He knew that her earthly body had worn out and now she was in heaven with a brand new body that was perfect and without pain. She was with my mom and my brother that had preceded her in death. They were having a family reunion. And best of all, they were in Jesus' presence.
At the funeral, Devin asked where he would live. Everyone wanted him. Darlene had promised my sister Vonda she could have him. She promised her 27 year old daughter, Melinda, she could have him. She signed a Last Will and Testament in 2006 saying I could have him. A week later, she signed another will stating his cousin Celena could have him. Can you just imagine the dilemma this caused. Not only a dilemma an all out war in the family!
For a week after their mom's death, Celena and I thought it was best to let Devin stay with his sister. They were grieving and they needed each other. But then it was time to go back to school. He had already missed a week. Vonda wanted him to continue at Tousanikas Elementary in Greencastle. Devin adamantly told both Celena and me that he did not want to stay in Greencastle. Maybe the constant reminders of his mom would be too hard for him. Most of all he wanted to live near his sister and see her on weekends.
Dilemma number 1: Vonda stops talking to me and Celena. She is very mad at us for withdrawing him from Greencastle schools and registering him at Bunker Hill in Franklin Township. Devin adjusted well to the school change. He had done it many times in his life. Darlene moved back and forth from Greencastle to Indianapolis to Beech Grove several times.
Dilemma number 2: Who should Devin live with? Celena his official guardian thought it was best for him to live with me. I'm retired and she works five days a week. The bus picks up two houses from me. He could go to church with me and Jim on Sundays and Wednesdays. He loves church but no one ever took him in Greencastle. When he lived at my dad's in Beech Grove, we picked him up for church regularly. Devin was happy to be back at Grace and made friends quickly with Christian Moreno and Saul LeChuga.
Decision number 3:
Who should go before the judge soon and ask for legal guardianship? Right now Celena is handling his social security checks. She has opened bank accounts for Devin and depositing money for college and savings for a car when he is sixteen. Celena has reimbursed all the expenses to me for food and clothing that I have purchased for Devin. This partnership seems to be working well. But is it best for Devin. It reminds me of a Bible verse, "A house divided will fall." Can Devin be divided? He can. But is it best? No. It's not.
So that is where I will end the blog today. Please pray that God will help us all to know what is best and that our family will agree and be reconciled to each other.
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