Opportunities to Change a Life

"There is an opportunity every day to show kindness to others."

~Mama Hen

When my Dad died the funeral parlor had to stay open for about three extra hours for his wake, because the line of people were out the door. I was so far gone in shock, disbelief, pain and emotion that I really did not notice much of anything during that time other then missing him so much that my existence shut down. However, the one thing that I did happen to notice was that there were so many people coming in to see him. Who were all of these people? I knew my Dad was so liked by many people in the business world and outside of it, but they came in droves.

One thing that continually stood out was that people would say "I just talked to your Dad" or "I just saw your Dad". My father was the busiest person I have ever known. He worked so hard in everything he did and then he made time for family. So how could he have just talked to all of these people?

As time went on and I learned to deal with "loss" and a pain that I still work on to this day, I would bump into people who knew my Dad. They would tell me how he "helped" them set up their business. How he "helped" them when they had no money to get on their feet. How he "helped" them get a job. How he "helped" them stay together in their marriage. It was absolutely amazing to hear. People I never even met before would tell me these splendid stories about him. One particular older man saw me at a store and asked if I was my Dad's daughter and I said yes. He started to cry as he reached into his wallet and pulled out a newspaper clipping with my Dad's picture. It was worn and rather creased from having been tucked in there for so many years. He told me that my Dad changed his life. That he believed in him when no one else had and Dad helped finance his education so that he could get out of a hole he should have never been in. He told me he loved my Dad as a father and gave me a hug.

There are so many opportunities for all of us to "give" of ourselves no matter how great or how small they may be. I will never forget when that man pulled my fathers photo from his wallet with tears in his eyes.

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