If I’m being honest, at that time I was just constantly on the go. It was like everything was running on autopilot, and I wasn’t chasing any goals or looking toward the future, I was only trying to get from day to day.
I was a single parent of two young children, working full-time at this tiny insurance office, making so little money that it barely covered our basic needs. But it was steady. Every day was pretty much the same: up before the sun, get the kids ready, sit in traffic, work all day, then hurry home to start all over again.
I was exhausted, so much that it didn’t even cross my mind anymore. Days got hazy, and all I did to track time was given-to-do lists: meals, homework, bills. Even breaks weren’t really breaks. Whenever we sat down for lunch, we were usually playing catch-up on calls or paperwork.
My mother pitched in when she could, even as she was exhausted from working hospital shifts. She would pick up the kids if I was running late, or she would drop off groceries when I was overwhelmed with work . I just felt like I was always one step away from everything coming crashing down.
But I wasn’t seeking meaning or inspiration at that time in my life, because I thought I didn’t have the room to do that.
Then, one night after grocery shopping, something apparently meaningless but odd happened. I was loading bags into my car in the cold, already stressed about bedtime and money, when I saw a man sitting off in a corner of the parking lot.
He didn’t want money or anything. He was just sitting there quietly with this dog resting against him. The dog seemed calm and well taken care of, and that’s what caught my attention.
He told me he was a veteran and that he hadn’t eaten since the day before. He only asked for some food, and honestly, I hesitated.
I had kids to feed, and I could barely keep going. But then I saw him straightening the dog’s collar, making sure it was snug. He was hungry, but he was still looking out for his dog, and that got me.
So I went back inside and bought him a hot meal, some water, and dog food. When I handed it to him, he thanked me, nothing dramatic, just real.
I started driving home thinking that was it. Just a bit of quiet goodwill.
A few weeks later, I was called at my boss’s office unexpectedly and fired immediately. No warning. I was terrified. Two kids, no savings.
It turned out the man I helped had contacted a veterans organization to say thank you, and they sent a letter about my kindness and my work. I was told I was “inappropriate under the circumstances” and that I had “represented the company poorly” in the eyes of my boss.
Later, when they learned I’d lost my job over it, they intervened. They didn’t just help fix the problem, but stood up for me.
Long story short, that later turned into a job as a veterans advocate, helping them find support and stability. My life is very, very different now.
I wasn’t trying to change anything that day. I was just being human. And all of a sudden, that made all the difference.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace