82-Year-Old Widower Is “Adopted” by a Family in the Neighborhood

82-year-old Paul Callahan poses with neighbor Sharaine Caraballo who "adopted" him

Photo: Screenshot from Instagram

Some people find friends for life in their next door neighbors, or at least someone to spend some fun afternoons with. But a woman named Sharaine Caraballo and her family found something bigger than that. After arriving in Texas from Rhode Island, Caraballo and her husband Wilson wondered if they would fit in easily. They quickly made up their minds after an 82-year-old knocked on their door.

Hoping to help the newcomers, Paul Callahan showed up to Caraballo's home with a ladder. The Caraballos had started working on the property, so Callahan kindly offered his knowledge about the way things worked around the house. “One of my biggest fears was meeting our new neighbors. I was wondering who they were going to be and what they were going to be like,” Caraballo told Good News Network. “When Paul welcomed us into the neighborhood I knew I had made the right choice.”

Shortly afterwards, the couple, who has five children, learned Callahan's story. He had recently become a widower, losing his wife only six months before the Caraballos moved in. Touched by his goodwill, the family quickly “adopted” him, and had him visit them over a few times. Soon they had become a lifeline for the old man. In return, they found a grandpa-like figure who their children loved to bits.

As the images Caraballo has shared show, on top of having some fun times with him, her kids love to hug and be carried around by Callahan. “He was coming over with tools. He’d bring screwdrivers and teach Wilson how to fix up the garage and Wilson followed all his advice,” the woman recalls. “He’s always coming over with little trinkets for the kids. They play with him a lot and call him Uncle Paul. He’s got stories for days.”

While the Caraballos feared their noisy home would be frowned upon by the neighbors, it turned out to be just what Callahan needed. “It reminds me of when we, my wife and I, first started,” he said, “There's just something about this family that makes me feel at home.” In the end, this tale about friendship and connection reminds us how a little kindness can go a long way—and even save a life. As the senior puts it, “It doesn't hurt to be nice. That's the other thing, it costs you nothing, but a lot of times, you get a better return.”