Portrait Of A Hero - Chuck

Sometimes being a brother is even better 

than being a superhero.  ~Marc Brown

This quote pretty much sums up how I feel about my big brother.  (I have 3 brothers and they are all super-heroes to me, but this is about my biggest brother.)

Chuck is about 8 years older than me, so growing up he was the typical big brother...bossy, rough, and very strong.  He could take on all 4 of his younger sisters at the same time~~~and WIN! 

When I was 8 years old, Chuck was 16, and had just been ordained a Priest and so he baptized me. When Chuck was in his early 20's, working a real job, dating, and had his own car... I was still an awkward little kid of 13. Chuck had gotten tickets to take a date to see The Carpenters in concert.  (This was BIG time entertainment back in the 'olden' days...lol)

To my surprise, he'd picked up 3 tickets; 1 for him, 1 for his date, and 1 for little annoying ME! He treated me like I was so important and that I was actually a somebody.  Now, I ask you, how many big brothers do that? 

When Chuck was getting ready to propose to a young woman he was dating, he came and asked me what I thought of her and if I liked her.  WOW! He actually cared about what I thought...

When he 'grew-up', Chuck became a Deputy for the Sheriffs office.  I was so proud when I'd tell people what my big brother did for his job.  Recently he retired.  Below are a few excerpts from the newspapers about my hero ~ my totally cool and awesome brother! (Are you starting to get the idea that I like my big brother...lol)

Ravalli Republic
Calling it a career: Sheriff department’s school resource officer retiring after 33 years



Gividen was an institution in many of the valley's schools during the course of his career, working with at-risk youth and teaching classes on everything from drug abuse prevention to military history. Gividen, now 60, said the time was right for him to retire.


"Working as a school resource officer, it's the one time in regular law enforcement that you get to be proactive instead of reactive," he explained. "Usually you pick up the pieces after it's all happened, whereas as an SRO you get to work with the kids and prevent them from doing things that can get them in trouble. That's what's rewarding, is helping kids through some of their problems before they do things that might get them in trouble. That was the greatest experience of my career, just working with kids and seeing the changes."


"They are all good kids but some of them make dumb decisions," he said "You have to help them out and hopefully change their way of thinking and way of acting. They are trying to do what is right, and seeing them excel in school and being leaders is a very rewarding experience. I definitely make sure I spend more time with the at-risk kids. You can tell what kids might be leaning in that direction, and so I will single them out, and go out of my way to talk to them, and find out their goals and ambitions and hobbies. Just talking to them makes a world of difference sometimes."


Bitterroot Star

Deputy Gividen retires

He tells of a case where a two year old child was reported missing.
“There was a canal next to the house and we all thought the worst,” he said. Gividen was the first officer on the scene. After some initial questioning, they set out to look for the child. He followed the canal, thinking it would be better for the family if he found something there.
“As I was looking along the bank, something caught my eye back away from the canal.” There was a bit of color and Gividen went to investigate. As he looked closer, he found the two year old, sleeping beneath some bushes. He gently picked the child up and started back to the house without waking the child.
“At first, when the mother saw me with the child slumped down sleeping, she thought the worst and let out a cry. But then the child sat up and mom saw everything was ok. I even had to wipe a tear away then.”


I know some of you have totally cool and awesome big brothers too, but I am so grateful that mine took me at an awkward age, and showed me how important I REALLY was.

Chuck, I love you!