A Sweet bow and an AWESOME kid

[steadman]

First let me give you a little history. Almost 8 years ago, I asked a beautiful woman to marry me. Lucky for me she said Yes. She came with 2 boys Colten and Conner. While Conner and I have a good relationship, Colten (Smity from now on)and I have become good if not best friends.



A little history of the past 2 years. As everyone knows the economy is terrible, and the hardest hit seems to be construction. Well I got layed off, but fortunatley my wife has a decent job, so we are ok. I continued to look for work, but to no avail.

Fast forward to last Oct. Smity was about to turn 16. In our house this is a big birthday, you get your drivers license, and in our faith we encourage our young people to wait to date until they are 16. You kind of reach the right of passage as a man. Being with out work for a long time funds were limited. We were able to get him a very nice knife, but my wife and I felt like he deserved more. So at the last minute I gave him my Mohawk longbow for a gift. He was floored and I had never felt better.

So now I had the 2 longbows I had made myself and was content to shoot them. Around the first on the year Smity got a part time job and started earning a little for himself



Smity's new bow

[maineac]

What a great gift!!  Looking forward to the rest of the story!

[magnus]

That's awesome Ryan! Thanks for sharing with us.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Great story! Thanks for sharing Ryan!

Smity...awesome bow buddy. You have a great mentor there...listen to him!

[Green]

Good on you Ryan.  He'll keep that bow for a lifetime because of the depth of meaning involved in that gift.

[Steve Clandinin]

Fantastic Family,Listen my friend if anythings needed to help you out with equipment for you or your family PM me ! I mean it.

[steadman]

Man I just typed a whole page and it's gone  

So around the first of the year, Smity comes by and notices me browsing the bow classifieds. He asks questions about bows, he is like that. He loves shooting a bow and is the only one whose taken it up. My son loves to come with me, but is into guns. It's good! Anyway i show him some good deals that were to be had at the time and thought nothing of it.

A few weeks go by and Smity approaches me with that look of a kid whose done something wrong. All us parents know it. Well out of the blue he informs me that he had purchased a Dwyer from Al (longshadow). I was floored and fought back the tears, but the tears won.

We anxiously awaited the bow and when it came I was excited! I opened the tube, and was floored. What an awesome bow. Then I tried to draw it. I knew right away it was too heavy  :(   I was heartbroken! I have to give a huge shout out to Al. He not only was honest and fair but treated my son with class. I will never forget the generosity shown by him  

So Smity came up with plan B as we sent the bow back. We looked on the classifieds that night and fate struck us a great hand. There was a Mohawk that i had been looking at a few weeks earlier. Well a deal was made and today the long awaited tube showed up!

[steadman]

My little girl loves to have her pic taken. that's trouble for Daddy!



Open!!



A very happy Father!!

[steadman]

The money shot! I can't express how humbled I am or proud I am to call him my son! He is an awesome kid who deserves more than I can ever give to him. Love ya Buddy!
Now to kill my first elk with this bow this fall  

[steadman]

Steve that is very nice of you to offer. If neede I will get ahold of you. Thanks.

[spotteddog]

Great story,Your a very lucky dad.

[Rob W.]

Great story and sweet bows!

I looked long and hard at that Mohawk when it was for sale.


Rob

[Guru]

Good things happen to good people...you my friend, deserve every bit of the good that happens in your life!

Powerful stuff        

[TJK68]

That is AWSOME indeed, you are very lucky to have a son like that, and he to have a father like you. Congrats to both.
Tom

[JohnnyWayne]

Family sticks together, right on  

[Covey]

Awesome story man! A relationship with your children is priceless. Great pics too!

Jason

[RC]

Outstanding!!!!RC

[Over&Under]

Excellent stuff Ryan!

It just dont get any better than that!

Hats off to you both!

 

[Bel007]

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Great stuff Ryan.  Good family too. In order to protect them though you aught to put a "Duck" sign over that low door! you may not go bald as quickly.          

You guys will be quite the duo with matching hawks.