"When I look back over my life, the times I was happiest was when I was doing for others."
~ Vincent R.
My father shared this thought with me two weeks before he passed away.
I was speaking with friends earlier this week about service, volunteer work, helping others, and it brought my Dad's words back to me.
My Dad had a wonderful way of listening intently when people talked. If you expressed an interest in a new subject, within days he would produce a book he had found on it for you or some research about it. Not because you had asked, but because he thought you might like it.
He told our family a story one night which really touched my heart. He worked in the City and would walk through the large terminal mid-town to catch the bus home in the evening. One particular night, he happened upon a woman who looked in distress and was begging for money. He told of how he sat down next to her, to actually speak with her and find out how she had ended up there in the terminal. She spoke about her children and situation. After listening to her tale, he gave her whatever cash he had in his wallet before resuming his trip home. His kindness in recognizing this woman as a person, someone who deserved perhaps a little time as well as some money, spoke volumes, I thought, about the kind of man he was.
My Dad taught me that doing others doesn't always have to be a grand gesture or something monumental. It can be as simple as a smile, holding a door, or looking someone in the eye and really listening to them when they speak. To let them know, they matter.
I was so very blessed growing up because I always knew I mattered to him.
And he was so right. The times when I am doing things for others does bring me happiness - whether it's something for my family, crocheting scarves for soldiers, donating to a charity, or smiling at the grumpy check-out lady in the supermarket and really meaning it when I say, "Have a good day!"
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