William Ledbetter: A Man’s Proposal To Girlfriend — And Her Daughter

William Ledbetter didn’t want to leave anyone out of this special occasion. While his proposal seems weird from this onset, assuredly it’s quite the opposite.

William Ledbetter had been dating Paige Evans for two years, and on their second anniversary, Ledbetter decided it was time to take things to another level. That’s when he came up with this idea for a special kind of proposal.

After William Ledbetter’s girlfriend proposal — which she accepted — he turned his attention to her 5-year-old daughter, Maddie. Ledbetter wanted her to feel included in his mother’s transition, since it would — actually — change her life as well.

Since they’d be forming a new family, Maddie needed to understand what was really happening. So, William Ledbetter came up with a daughter proposal for her as well. After informing her that he planned to marry her mother, Maddie reacted as many kids would — with “Eww.”

However, once William asked his soon-to-be step-daughter to stand in front of him, he popped the question. Ledbetter asked Maddie if she’d be his daughter “forever.” As can be seen from the video, his daughter-to-be was elated. Once the ring was on her little finger, she joyfully gave him a hug and kiss. There were no more “eww” responses at the point. She was included in the marriage proposal.

You can watch the full, heartwarming proposal video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9l_LNfn-y8

William Ledbetter told Huffington Post that he didn’t want his girlfriend’s daughter to see the jewelry he got for her mother and she feel left out.

“So I actually got Maddie a ring as well, along with a necklace and earrings so she would feel like she had ‘won’ over her mommy [by getting more],” says Ledbetter.

William also noted that, during the proposal, he gave Maddie her own for another reason. He stated as follows.

“I included Maddie because any time I give her mom presents, she’s always right there wanting to open them for her and talking about how much she loves whatever I got her mom.”

The proposal video is dated back to September 2, 2015. Since then, it looks as if they’ve become more of a happy family. The video has amassed nearly 900,000 views, 1,230 likes (17 dislikes), and 114 comments. On March 8, it was reposted on Imgur, where it has accumulated over 7 million views and counting.

However, unfortunately, not everyone welcomes the idea of step-parents. Although William Ledbetter’s proposal was sweet and considerate, the top comment on the YouTube video’s page is negative. Yet, it’s not due to “support.” It remains the top comment due to the proposal’s defense team — the people.

The proposal video’s comment came from Desirée Rodriguez. She stated as follows.

“Well… a rare think… I think stepfathers and stepmothers are pieces of s***… : s sorry nobody really likes others peoples kids… be serious if you are having a family with someone…”

People immediately labeled her comment as a “sad projection” of what happened in her own experience with step-parents. Eventually, the truth showed that she was, indeed, projecting — as certain degrees of misfortune cultivated her experience.

In a defensive retort to another commentator’s response on William Ledbetter’s proposal video, Ms. Rodriguez stated: “Jesus… you dont know s*** of what my step parents did to me… the world is also full of bad step parents!!! that doesnt mean you should be offended.”

Nevertheless, while you can’t tell a book by its cover, William Ledbetter’s proposal video certainly gives a great preface and introduction. From the looks of the photos provided by Huffington Post, the Ledbetter family looks satisfied.

Similar to Ledbetter’s parental ideology, any person looking to enter into a step-parent type of situation has to be willing to accept the children, as well as the spouse. It’s not one or the other. It’s both or neither. William Ledbetter’s proposal video is a shining example of one person honoring an existing family dynamic and accepting it as his own.

Yet, as Desirée mentioned, there are families who don’t have such an understanding, and the compassion and experiences — contrary to that shown in William Ledbetter’s proposal — show an absence which leaves a sour taste in some step-children’s and step-parents’ mouths.

Thankfully, Ledbetter’s situation might prove different for this Gray, Georgia, family. All in all, what’s your stance on his proposal and step-parenting? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

[Image via Facebook]