My father will help anybody without batting an eye.
I’ve tried to be there for people, specifically my family and friends. I like to help them whenever I can. Whether it’s moving them from one house to another, hearing them out on the phone (and I hate talking on the phone), running errands for them, and generally doing them favors, I try to make myself accessible and someone they may want to come to first before asking anyone else. I like to be there for them, no doubt.
But there are times where I may have just driven back into town after 4 days on the road and went straight to the day-job for an 8 hour shift and I get the call for help and all I want to do is sleep. Admittedly, scenarios run through my head on how I would be able to get out of it — excuses start to flare up in my imagination before I catch myself, step back, and finally acquiesce to assisting in whatever it is they may need me for. Sometimes, I don’t catch myself and I miss an opportunity to help a loved one by rationalizing how I just can’t. It’s kinda awful to me that these situations arise. I think it’s awful to me because throughout my life, I’ve learned exactly how my father is. And he is something else.
My father has never denied assistance to anyone who asked for it. In fact, he oftentimes offers his assistance before people even realize that they could use his help. It’s incredible. All that he wants to do is help others; and he does it with admirable gusto and enthusiasm — always a sincere smile on his face.
I mean, I’ve helped others with some random favor, the whole time feeling that I could be doing something better with my time and effort; when in retrospect, there probably isn’t anything I could be doing better with my time and effort than giving it up to make a loved one’s life easier. And here’s my dad, constantly offering himself up time and time again with strong fervor and expecting nothing in return.
If I end up being half the man my father is today…
