As parents, we do our best to teach our children values and how to earn respect. While we may try to ignore the negative, the truth of the matter is not every child has the benefit of growing up in a positive environment. While I don’t know the entirety of Alex’s story, I have heard that when he arrived in our little Texas town it was in search of something better.
We never want to imagine these kids, these young adults having to look for something better but it does happen. In talking to his aunt and seeing the responses to images posted on social media from this session, there is such a sense of community pride around this young man. There is obviously an entire community keeping a watchful eye on his progress and ready to support him with everything they have.
During the cold temperature session, Alex never complained. He followed instructions on where to sit, where to look. Did what was asked of him. Every time we changed locations he asked if he could carry the light I had brought with me. When I say we had cold temperatures that day, I mean we were just coming out of freezing temperatures, but he never batted an eye. The lack of sunshine didn’t bother him a bit. He went about the task of getting his senior photos like a true gentleman.
And yet, I could see the fighter in him. He is humble. He is gentleman. I could see the fighter in him.
I asked him why he wanted so badly to join our armed forces as a member of the Air Force. You could tell he had a lot of pride when he envisioned wearing the uniform. His simple response, however, was I just want to work on planes. I could tell there was a lot more to that. For the humble, generous, and kind young man these photos may be a small part of his senior year. I am confident they are images his family members, both here in the US and those in Guatemala, will proudly display when they think of the legacy this young man is building for his future.
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams
