The People Who Built Me: Brandon "Dumbledore"

Some people come into your life because of someone else.

And then, even after that person is gone, they stay.

That's Brandon.

Or, as I call him, Dumbledore.

We met back in 2019 through someone who is no longer part of my life. Funny how life works sometimes. The reason you meet someone may disappear, but the person who ends up changing your life doesn't.

The nickname "Dumbledore" started because, for a while, I lived in his basement. He loved joking that I was his Harry Potter child, living under his roof. Somewhere along the way, Brandon became "Dumbledore." If you know Harry Potter, you know Dumbledore wasn't Harry's dad, but he was a protector. A steady, wise father figure who looked out for him, believed in him, and helped guide him when he needed it.

That nickname stuck because, in a lot of ways, it fit.

After everything I had been through, trusting older men didn't come easily. It wasn't something I could just decide to do one day. Trust had to be earned, and Brandon never tried to force it. He was simply steady. Calm. Safe. Over time, he became one of the people who helped me realize not every older man was someone I needed to fear.

When I was trying to figure out my future, he even went with me to tour cosmetology schools. Looking back, I probably would've walked through those schools, smiled, nodded, and left without asking half the questions I should have. Brandon wasn't about to let that happen. He asked questions I didn't even know I needed answered, making sure I understood what I was signing up for before making such a big decision.

That's who he is.

He shows up.

Not always in loud, obvious ways, but in the practical ones that matter.

Years later, he was still helping me without even realizing it. One day he came across a Facebook post from a nurse looking for someone to care for her autistic son. Instead of just scrolling past it, he thought of me and sent it my way.

That one message turned into one of my clients.

Moments like that are easy to overlook, but that's how Brandon has always been. He's constantly opening doors for people without asking for recognition.

Of course, he's also full of the world's worst dad jokes. I swear they're genetically programmed into him. He'll say something so painfully cheesy that all you can do is shake your head... and then somehow laugh anyway.

Even when he's being a grumpy ass, I know he's one phone call away if I need him.

One of my favorite things about him is Athena.

You know... the dog he absolutely, positively didn't want.

Now every time I leave, I hear some version of, "Well... Momma and I might just have to keep her."

Sir.

That is my pit bull.

But according to Brandon, Athena has apparently decided she belongs to him, and I'm just lucky he lets me borrow her.

He'd never admit it, but she's wrapped him completely around her paw.

Brandon probably doesn't realize just how much he helped build me. It wasn't one giant moment. It was years of little moments that added up. Helping me learn to trust again. Going with me to make big life decisions. Sending me opportunities when he thought of me. Making me laugh when I needed it. Being someone I knew I could count on.

Some people build you with grand gestures.

Others build you simply by being there, year after year.

Brandon has always been one of those people.

And if I'm being honest...

I don't think I've ever told him that enough.

I'm not very good at telling the people I love just how much they mean to me. I don't always find the words until years later, when I sit down to write. I know Brandon probably has no idea just how much he helped build me, and that's my fault. I've never been very good at saying it out loud.

The same goes for Momma.

The two of them opened their home to me, treated me like family, believed in me, laughed with me, and helped shape the person I am today. I don't say thank you nearly as often as I should.

So maybe this is me finally saying it.

Thank you, Dumbledore.

Thank you for the terrible jokes, for claiming my dog as your own, for helping me find opportunities, for asking the questions I didn't know to ask, and for quietly reminding me that there are good people in this world.

I wouldn't be the person I am today without you.

You helped build me more than you'll probably ever know.

— Kayla