A Father’s Love

By: Anonymous

To me, benevolence will always be my dad.

When I was a child, he let me think he wasn’t hungry when he knew I wanted the last piece.

He let me think he was hot when he gave me his jacket in the cold winter months.

He let me think he enjoyed listening to me stumble through reading a book to him, though I’m sure it was terrible to hear.

Knowing that my parents were barely making enough money to keep our family going, thinking of the lunches he would take me out to brings me a bittersweet feeling.

He never had time to think of himself, but he always had time to listen to the stories I wanted to tell. He even would ask me for them, marveling at every little idea in my mind.

I can’t help but think of his childhood – where he would never have received as gentle of treatment as he gave me. He worked hard from the start, wasn’t coddled, and considered himself lucky to make a fireplace cutout, pretending he and his siblings had a real one at Christmastime.

By contrast, my Christmas was always joyful. A simple gift of a sweater, bought with carefully saved money, was treasured by me for years.

His hands were rough, hardened by many years of labor before I was even born. He often came home smelly and filthy, his wrinkly face lined with dirt. He would work outside even on days like the weather we’re having now – only stepping into the warmth of our home after many hours outside.

And yet, I never saw him without a smile ready on his face. When he came home, we would run to see him clamorously (my siblings and I were never quiet), yet he greeted us with patience and kindness. He gladly came up to the room I shared with my siblings, admiring whatever creation I had made that day. I was proud to show him, and he was always proud of everything I made.

He let me tell him of all my troubles, complaining of the little pains that childhood brings. And the best part of the day was when he read us stories in the evenings. Our favorites were Little House on the Prairie, Chronicles of Narnia, and Old Yeller. Looking back, I remember how he would drift off in the middle of a sentence as the long day caught up with him.

In the mornings, he led our family in reading a Psalm, carefully instilling in us the values he believed in profoundly.

When my father announced to our family a few months ago that he had cancer, in a way, we couldn’t be surprised. It’s the disease that comes for everyone, it seems. We also weren’t surprised by Dad’s reaction to his illness. In this time when so many get stuck in worries and regrets, he instead is a lighthouse to our family. We turn to him for comfort. He encourages us still and bears our burdens. And he can still be found with a smile on his face.

To me, he is all love and generous giving – his selflessness is intrinsic to his very being. That is benevolence to me.

About The Benevolence Committee

The Benevolence Committee exists to amplify and uphold our “Benevolence” core value and serve as a bridge between employee-owners and the charities we regularly support. In January, they hosted a writing contest and asked contestants to respond to the question, “What does benevolence mean to you?” or “How have you seen or experienced benevolence in your life?” This story is one of five that will be shared over the week of February 12-16. We hope you are touched and encouraged as you read about the gift of benevolence. Each winner was asked to choose a charity for the Benevolence Committee to donate $500 to. Our anonymous writer chose Lifesong for Orphans:

“The reason I picked Lifesong is because I think it goes along with the theme of benevolence, and they embody the spirit of adoption that Jesus models for us, and that my dad modeled to me.”

To all of the writers (whether your story is shared or not), we want to send out a sincere thank you for your vulnerability and willingness to share your story. The Benevolence Committee had a very hard time narrowing down the entries to the five that will be shared this week. Each story was special, and a testament to the power of benevolence in our lives.