Non-Challenge Catch Up

So, I really fell off of the Non-Challenge wagon. I can always climb back on though, right? There has been one prompt I've been thinking a lot about and really wanted to comment on. Day 20– What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you? Did you repay the kindness?

More-so than a single act, a single person comes to mind. I've posted about him on this blog before. He's a friend of mine from university and although we're not in touch often, I am so privileged to have him in my life.

I believe I met him in my third year of university. We had Educational Psychology together. At about 40, he was a continuing ed. student. It was obvious he wanted to be there. He was engaged and articulate. I also assumed that he was gay. He really stood out to me. I believe I approached him about a group project we had to do. We hit it off almost instantly. It helped that he was very outgoing and a good conversationalist. I will never forget coming out to him. I guess we had been sitting beside each other and chatting for a few weeks and a break was coming up. I said something about going to visit my girlfriend, emphasizing that I was talking about my GIRLFRIEND, and he was absolutely floored. He asked why I had shared that about myself with him, and I said that him being gay too helped. He was surprised that I knew he was gay, which I found amusing because it just seemed so obvious to me. Anyway, our friendship persisted and towards the end of the school year he asked about my summer plans. I said something about taking the Greyhound to go visit Jen. He asked what the difference in cost was between the 12 hour Greyhound trip and flying (a one hour trip)... I told him it was about double, or $100 more. At that point, $100 was A LOT for me. The next time I saw him he handed me $100 and told me I should fly to see Jen so that we could spend more time together. This time I was the one who was floored. I honestly could not believe that someone I had known for only a few short months was being so generous. I don't think I've ever told him, but rather than using the $100 for a flight I used it for a future trip to visit Jen, by Greyhound. LOL.

The following year, he let Jen and I stay at his place when she came to visit for a weekend, and he was away rather than us having to stay at my dad's place.

When Jen and I started talking about having kids he immediately offered to be a donor for us. We very seriously considered it, but ended up going the anonymous route. Nonetheless, his offer is probably the single kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. Other than knowing that he had helped two people who desperately wanted to have a child accomplish that, it would in no way have benefited him. I think that's the thing about all of the acts of kindness he has shown me. He has no obligation to me. He isn't going to benefit from them. He is kind and generous to a degree that I have rarely, if ever, come across in another person.

We traveled to BC a few years ago to visit him and was an AMAZING host... showing us around, cooking for us, and even planning a getaway for us while we were there.

Before The Bean was born he offered to use his AirMiles to cover the cost of one of our flights out west to visit him again. We didn't end up taking him up on his offer, but I hope that we may be able to in the future.

I don't feel like I've ever done anything to deserve any of this or to repay him. I don't know what I could do. I hope he recognizes my extreme gratitude and that that is enough.