Beat Editor Maya Clement and her stepfather Lee Cornell pose for a photo on the bank of the Swanee River in Dowling Park, Florida on Dec. 27, 2019. Clement met Cornell in March of 2019 and they quickly formed a bond due to their similar personalities. Photo courtesy of Donna Clement
Beat Editor Maya Clement shares her experience with having a stepfather and how he has impacted her life in a variety of ways.
Around three years ago, my life changed when my mom met my current stepfather, Lee Cornell.
My whole life, it has just been me and my mom. Dinner with just the two of us was laidback and usually spent sitting on the couch watching our favorite tv shows together, such as The Amazing Race.
It was fun to have this relaxed relationship between the two of us, but it was also difficult for my mom. It was difficult for her to both get me to all of the activities I wanted to do and do what she needed to. It was difficult for her to be the only person to take care of me, and be responsible for everything else around the house too.
Life was hectic and crazy, but it was our normal.
When Lee joined my family, though, all of this changed.
Life was hectic and crazy, but it was our normal.
When Lee joined my family, though, all of this changed.
Beat Editor Maya Clement stands in line for a ride while holding her nephew, Aeden Cornell, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Sept. 17, 2021. After Clement’s stepfather, Lee Cornell, entered her life, she was able to experience having kids in the family other than herself for the first time. Photo by Maya Clement
Our family grew by more than just one person. Lee already had two sons who had graduated from college and were living on their own, and one of them even had a son of his own. For the first time in my life, there was another kid in the family.
It took some time to get used to having a new person in my mom’s and my life. I wasn’t used to having someone else around who regularly impacted us and changed how we functioned as a family unit.
Now, dinner for us is a conversational family time where we all talk about our days. Now, my mom has someone else to share the responsibility with. All of the good parts about it just being me and my mom are still here, but they have expanded to include Lee.
While I love the family I had before my mom met my stepfather, I’m thankful for the new family dynamic Lee has brought, the relationships I have gotten to build and the new family experiences he will continue to bring in the future.
