A neighbor asked to hold the baby, so the father looked closely at the photo and revealed the truth

Too many children are forced to grow up without parents, and it’s something they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

After all, parents are the most influential people in a child’s life—they shape us into the adults we eventually become.

This inspiring story shows us that parenthood doesn’t have to be defined by blood.

From a young age, Cody knew he wanted to be a father. Growing up without a father figure made the road to fatherhood seem difficult. But then, a man named Mr. Chip entered his life.

Cody didn’t speak much about his relationship with Mr. Chip for decades—until a photo of the loving man and Cody’s infant son went viral. That’s when Cody decided to share why that picture meant so much to him.

He wrote a heartfelt post on Facebook:

“A lot of people liked the photo, so I wanted to take a few minutes and share the story.

Milton West was my neighbor when I was a kid. I knew him as Mr. Chip. He was a retired employee of Dow Chemical. He had been there for me ever since I was two years old. Growing up without a dad was always tough. But the good Lord surrounded me with great men—and Mr. Chip was one of them. He always talked about the value of education. He taught me how to work in the yard. He showed me how to treat people based on who they are and not what they look like. He taught me to treat my mother like a queen. He gave me countless life lessons that helped shape me into a good son, a good man, and a good father.

I will forever be grateful to God for placing him in my life.

So this past May, my wife and I welcomed a baby boy—Bob Wayne Shugart. When Mr. Chip and his wife Shirley saw him, they instantly fell in love. They’ve babysat him a few times and we visit them whenever we can. The last time we visited, Mr. Chip said he wanted to be called ‘Pop’—he said Bob Wayne was his grandson. So, of course, we needed a name for his wife too—and we decided on ‘Lolli!’

So now, we tell Bob Wayne we’re going to visit Lolli and Pop! I am so grateful that Lolli and Pop will be part of my son’s life. If he learns even half of what I learned from Mr. Chip, he will grow into a good son, a good man, and a wonderful father.”

Cody concluded: “Every day I read something negative about race relations and how things are worse than ever. I don’t agree. I hope this can be a positive and loving message about people. It’s just a small story from a small town in Texas—but I’m sure there are millions more like it across the United States and the world.”

Since posting the story, it has gone viral—shared hundreds of thousands of times, and covered by media outlets around the globe.

And it’s easy to see why. Please help spread this beautiful story so more people can be inspired by this extraordinary family!