I can’t believe it.

You've heard the struggle but now you witness it in action. May 2023 - still in Alabama

In your mind picture one person who is the strongest person you know. This is the strongest human you know. Hell, it could even be someone from a movie, I don't care but picture them. This person can literally do ANYTHING. They are your hero. You have seen them broken and bruised without even flinching. Do you have that person in your mind?

Now picture them stepping out of the car to pump gas at a gas station and you see them struggle, not remembering how to do it.

Heartbreaking. Sitting in the backseat of a rental in southern Alabama, I witnessed my dad stand there and struggle as he tried operate the gas pump. It's something he had done countless times in his life and yet, he couldn't do it.

That person I asked you to picture in your mind earlier in this post, bring them to the front of your mind again Can you imagine watching them struggle to complete a basic task? Is it gut wrenching? That's how I felt, to say the least.

My dad built the home I grew up in and my mom and him still live in it today. He is strong both physically and mentally. He is a "get-er-done", "go, go, go", "let's get this shit done", kind of man. No bullshit, no wasting time in between tasks, no "lets finish tomorrow". He is the kind of person who doesn't start a job he won't finish. He is efficient. He is big. He is aggressive. He is loving. He is strong .

He's spent his entire adult life working out in the sun, digging ditches, plumbing houses, commercial buildings, skyscrapers, and more.

I've seen him come home with serious sunburns, bruises, blood stains, cuts, metal pieces sticking out of his hands and arms, sore, tired, dehydrated, and broken. The next day, he would wake up and do it all over again. My dad can do it all and then some. He's given his time and love away regardless of any exhaustion he was feeling and he's helped so many people. I had no idea how many lives he's impacted until I made my first post,

Watching him struggle to pump gas had to be one of the most agonizing things I have ever witnessed. My heart was shattered. After a few minutes of watching him, I'm trying to let him figure it out, I get out to help him.

We started to drive off and he said, " aren't we going to need to pay for that?"

"Pay for what?" I asked.

"Pay for the gas", he said.

At that point, I was just trying to find the right words to respond with. I ended up saying "Oh, yeah! We paid before we pumped gas! I did it and used your card for you which is probably why you don't remember the paying part."

It was like watching dominos fall into place but this wasn't a game, nor was it fun.

Seeing your protector, your real life super hero struggle like that... it will most certainly rip your heart right out of your damn chest.

Picture this