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This is a real nice story that dad told me.
First a bit of background - dad was a butcher, then a police officer then back to casual butcher shop work with a friend of his.
Anyway, dad, in retirement from the police force, embarked on a hobby - making homemade Christmas cakes - not one or two, but literally dozens (he doesn't do this anymore). But for many years, he would sell the cakes through the butcher shop...
Every year, the customers would praise and praise and praise again of these wonderful cakes.
Dad has a kind heart, always has - and every year, he would make a large Christmas cake for some nuns in a nearby convent - they LOVED the cakes!!!!
Every year, the nuns would give dad an "extra blessing". It was something so simple, but I could tell that dad was touched by it.
It occurred to me, my family is like this...
Dad will do work for meat and some cash to help out,
my mum knits clothes for people for only the cost of the wool... (she knitted a baby clothes set as a gift to the husband for teh child of a staff member we lost recently). Mum refuses to be paid for it.
my brother - holy heck - he will help out his friends for any manual work almost always for free! (I call him 'Superman' as he and a friend of his saved the life of a couple from a burning house and shrugs off the 'hero' title)...
me, I am just a teacher, but I do have morning and after class tutorials for any student wishing for some guidance (and i flat out refuse to be paid for that, even though Ihave been offered) - I get praised for this, but I am not sure why, isn't it part of my job as a teacher???.
But back to the cakes... Dad is also a very humble man (imagine the total opposite to an entitlement-whore) for the many hours he did making those cakes , he was almost giving them away - and yes he had a few SC's but they did not get to him (and he toldthem where to go in a subtle way).
Dad recently battled through and defeated bowel cancer - many did not know, as Dad in his humility did not want to make a fuss.
But the responses to the cakes, not only from the nuns, but from young and old, rich and not-so-rich really touched dad. He doesn't say it, but I know they gave him a great boost.
First a bit of background - dad was a butcher, then a police officer then back to casual butcher shop work with a friend of his.
Anyway, dad, in retirement from the police force, embarked on a hobby - making homemade Christmas cakes - not one or two, but literally dozens (he doesn't do this anymore). But for many years, he would sell the cakes through the butcher shop...
Every year, the customers would praise and praise and praise again of these wonderful cakes.
Dad has a kind heart, always has - and every year, he would make a large Christmas cake for some nuns in a nearby convent - they LOVED the cakes!!!!
Every year, the nuns would give dad an "extra blessing". It was something so simple, but I could tell that dad was touched by it.
It occurred to me, my family is like this...
Dad will do work for meat and some cash to help out,
my mum knits clothes for people for only the cost of the wool... (she knitted a baby clothes set as a gift to the husband for teh child of a staff member we lost recently). Mum refuses to be paid for it.
my brother - holy heck - he will help out his friends for any manual work almost always for free! (I call him 'Superman' as he and a friend of his saved the life of a couple from a burning house and shrugs off the 'hero' title)...
me, I am just a teacher, but I do have morning and after class tutorials for any student wishing for some guidance (and i flat out refuse to be paid for that, even though Ihave been offered) - I get praised for this, but I am not sure why, isn't it part of my job as a teacher???.
But back to the cakes... Dad is also a very humble man (imagine the total opposite to an entitlement-whore) for the many hours he did making those cakes , he was almost giving them away - and yes he had a few SC's but they did not get to him (and he toldthem where to go in a subtle way).
Dad recently battled through and defeated bowel cancer - many did not know, as Dad in his humility did not want to make a fuss.
But the responses to the cakes, not only from the nuns, but from young and old, rich and not-so-rich really touched dad. He doesn't say it, but I know they gave him a great boost.