Where there is a will, there is a way! At nine years old CJ has learned this, and I give him all the credit in the world for making his dream come true. He got to see first hand that sometimes good things come to those who wait.

Countless months ago CJ walked in our bedroom late one night and asked his two overtired parents if he could get a bearded dragon. He got the standard, “let us talk about it” response.” It has been said that often when your child hears this they will move on, or at the very least you can keep using the “talk about it” excuse to delay things even longer.

Wellllllll, that was a fail in our house. As Steve and I kept procrastinating on giving CJ an answer, his will to have a bearded dragon grew stronger. He would show us videos and share countless facts and pictures daily. I can now tell you how these reptiles sleep, what they eat, how long they live, how big they will get, what they look like when they get mad, and the ideal temperatures for them to survive. It almost felt like we were taking care of a fictitious bearded dragon because it became all we ever talked about.

Ultimately Steve and I decided that having the bearded dragon was going to be a lot of work, and to get everything it needed to survive, was going to be expensive. We eventually broke this sad news to CJ and while he tried his hardest to pretend he didn’t care, it was obvious he was upset. A few days later he came to me and offered to pay for it all and promised he would take care of it on his own. My mama heart was feeling bad but CJ knew a miracle would have to happen for a bearded dragon to live in our house.

Fast forward to right about two weeks before school ended. I was picking CJ up from school, and before we even step foot out of the building he tells me as luck would have it his teachers nephew is giving away his bearded dragon. He adds that it comes with the entire set up and guess what? It’s all free! Again, he’s nine and often gets details wrong so I replied with a very sarcastic, “really?” Knowing me well and sensing my doubt he challenged me to email his teacher.

Late that night I shot an email over to Mrs. Gleason inquiring about the dragon. It was short and to the point because if CJ was mistaken I didn’t want to sound like a crazy lady trying to kidnap a dragon. She responded quickly. She apologized and said that CJ has overhead a conversation she was having with another student, but confirmed everything he said was true.

God bless her because I am sure CJ walked into school that morning with a million questions for her regarding the bearded dragon. Once she had confirmed what CJ had said our reasoning for not getting it no longer applied. I was still hesitant though. I had never seen CJ comfortable around such a creature. Before we changed our minds, I asked if it would be possible for CJ to meet the dragon.

Mrs. Gleason set it up and she came to meet us at her nephew Cyrus’ house for the greeting. My mind was blown. CJ was filled with so much knowledge that even Cyrus was impressed. Mrs. Gleason and I were asking questions that CJ was answering. He was so excited to meet Bowser and did a great job holding him. It was that day that I realized just how badly CJ wanted this.

Steve and I talked about it and decided that CJ was prepared, and ready, to care for this bearded dragon. His excitement was off the charts. We had one condition. He needed to clear space in his room for his new friend. Without hesitation we threw out three bags of garbage and rearranged his entire room. It’s amazing what a little motivation can do.

On July 5th we picked Bowser up. CJ has been doing an amazing job taking care of him. We hear about every time he eats, we know every time he moves, and are very aware of anything else happening in the tank. We have not once asked him to clean poop or remind him to check lights and temperatures. He has been doing that all in his own. It’s impressive.

The best part about it all was watching CJ come out of his shell with Cyrus. He doesn’t warm up to people easily but Cyrus was amazing with CJ. He answered every question, never once made him feel like he was being annoying (I definitely thought he was), and told CJ to reach out any time. He was the absolute sweetest and has been in touch since we adopted Bowser.

My boy wished his bearded dragon into existence. In the process we met Cyrus, who truly is wonderful, and CJ turned into a responsible pet owner. Truthfully, Bowser is growing on me. It’s the mealworms I want no part of. Also, this is most definitely his last pet. Lord knows what he might ask for next.

A special thanks to CJ’s spectacular teacher Mrs. Gleason. Bowser wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. He won’t ever forget how she helped make it all happen! She’s definitely one of that good ones.

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