“You know all these kids these days want to be internet famous, but I tell these girls to settle down about that. After all, they already are western Oklahoma famous,” Bill Helton laughed. “You know how they say it takes a village? Well, in our case, it is like they let the village adopt these three beautiful little girls, and then the rest of the village came to help.”
Humor reigns supreme in the Helton household. Even when discussing the most serious topics, either Helton or one of his three daughters — Samantha, 17, Angelina, 12, and Bella, 10 —quips some witty observation.
Rolling giggles then erupt.
“Tell her what you are getting me for Father’s Day,” Helton instructs Bella.
Tickled with her own clever devices, Bella responds, “Almond Joy.”
Her sister Angelina, the middle child known as the family nurse, joins in.
“We get him Dr. Pepper, too,” she said. “See what I mean,” Helton grins. “You girls are gonna have this woman thinking I do nothing but sit around and eat chocolate all day, I swear.”
Families are unique as finger prints. No two are the same.
Helton and his girls learned this quickly when they were all hastily thrown together on March 3, 2016, in an emergency foster care placement.
Helton had only recently completed his training as a new potential foster parent when he received a late-night call in need of safe housing for these three small children.
And, just as fast as Helton and his little angels were put together, he also realized that his strong circle of friends would be there every step of the way, happy to lend a helpful hand.
“The list is too great and long for me to try to name them all because I would probably leave someone very important out by mistake,” Helton said. “But from the beginning, I have had these wonderful friends — many who started out as clients in my hair salon and have become family over the years — who stepped in to either help me in an area that I was deficient or just give support or make us laugh when we needed it. The girls have many ‘aunts.’ They have wonderful grandparent figures.”
Along with collecting a cache of comical stories, the girls say they have learned numerous lessons and traits from their father.
“He has taught me not to be messy and to at least tell good jokes if you are going to tell them,” cracked little Bella. “He is always tired, but he is always joking.”
Angelina said, “He has also taught us to be clean and be nice. Be an individual, but be part of your community, too.”
“Dad is strong and inspirational,” added Samantha.
Helton legally adopted the girls on June 9, 2017.
The family has certainly faced their hardships as they have transitioned into a family, many beyond their control. But, regardless of the day’s troubles, Helton says they have all been determined to love each other as a family.
“Here is the biggest lesson I have learned,” Helton said. “When this first started, they loved me because they needed me. Literally, they needed me for their basic survival needs like food, shelter, and clothes. Now they have grown, evolved, and healed, and they know how to do many of those things on their own. I have watched it change from loving me because they need me into needing me because they love me. And I most certainly need them because I love them. There is no love quite like that of your child, and no joy like watching them grow into happy, healthy adults.”
Just as soon as Helton talks seriously about their family journey, one of the girls rattles off another joke, and another laugh of infectious laughter fills the air.
But, that is to be expected. After all, it is just another evening in the Helton household.
