Jake Randle-Sample and Steve Sample on TikTok.Photo:Keirrah Randle/TikTok
Keirrah Randle/TikTok
In an effort to honor his stepfather for stepping up within their blended family, Jake Randle made the touching decision to add Steve Sample’s last name to his own. The heartfelt moment was captured in a TikTok in which Steve, who never had biological children, realized what was happening.
Theviral cliphighlighted the moment when Jake handed Steve the paperwork showing his new last name, as a birthday gift. Steve burst into tears as the two hugged.
The inspiration for Jake’s decision came unexpectedly.
“I was at the house, and my mom asked me to go get the mail,” Jake recalls exclusively to PEOPLE. “I noticed on the mailbox it had my last name, Randle, and it also said Sample. At that moment, I thought, ‘Why wasn’t mine the same?’ ”
For Jake, adding Steve’s last name was a way to not only honor him but show his stepfather gratitude for years of love and support.
“I didn’t really know a true, solidified way to thank him for everything that he’s done,” he shares. “I’m sure there’s things that he’s done and sacrificed time after time that I don’t know about.”
“I feel like we’ve always been a family before this,” Jake continues. “I feel like I have reciprocated enough of the love I give my mom to my father, so I wanted to give him his flowers. I felt like this was my ultimate thank you.”
Reflecting on Jake’s grand gesture, Steve finds it difficult to fully encapsulate what this special gift means to him in words. “It blows me away. This means a lot to me. I don’t have to have this because the love is there and that’s all I need,” he shares. “But I’m happy I have this. I’m just totally blown away.”
The Randle-Sample Family.Keirrah Randle
Keirrah Randle
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He also explains that he was adopted, and knows the importance of building a family beyond blood relation. “My parents are my parents. I’m not their blood but they’re my parents,” Steve notes. “Blood doesn’t mean everything because families are the ones you make.”
Steve came into the Randle family’s life nearly two decades ago when he married Jake’s mom, Sheila. “We just hit it off right away,” Sheila recalls, revealing the two met through a friend. The couple’s connection was immediate, and Steve seamlessly integrated into the family, which also includes Jake’s sister Keirrah.
Steve’s impact on the family has been huge. Remembering Steve’s unwavering support from before they were married, Sheila recalls a time he offered to help with the children’s winter clothing expenses without hesitation.
“He’s always been our comfort,” Keirrah shares to PEOPLE. “He’s been like a good cushion for the longest time, someone we could lean on,” Jake adds, “We’ve always had banter and even though he’s not our biological father, he’s very protective of us.”
While Keirrah and Jake have taken the opportunity to welcome Steve into their family, many TikTok users have expressed wishes that they could have Steve in their families, too.
source: people.com
