It’s hard being a single dad, especially now that my wife departed, citing travel as her reason. I had to hurry to get my two small girls, ages five and four, dressed, fed, and dropped off at daycare before I leave for work in the morning. But one morning I found three freshly made pancake dishes with jam and fruit on them. Startled, I wondered if I had actually made breakfast while unconscious. My daughters loved the pancakes, but I couldn’t shake the mystery as I drove to work.
My mind kept going back to the pancakes during that hazy workday. Another surprise awaited me when I got home: my neglected grass had been expertly groomed, as if by a landscape contractor. Too much here to be written off as a coincidence. I was being helped, but by whom and why?
I hid in the kitchen the following morning, setting my alarm earlier in an effort to find out the truth. I noticed Mr. and Mrs. Harris, my elderly neighbors, coming into the kitchen around six in the morning. Mr. Harris kept guard by the door as Mrs. Harris set a plate of pancakes on the table. “I thought I gave you a spare key when I moved in?” I enquired. Mr. Harris answered, “You did, indeed. We wanted to offer some assistance because we saw you were going through a difficult period. We didn’t want you to think you couldn’t manage things, but even the strongest people occasionally need a little assistance, Mrs. Harris said.
The Harrises became a frequent part of our lives after that day. While Mr. Harris took care of the yard and other odd jobs around the house, Mrs. Harris assisted with the daughters and taught me time management techniques. Their altruistic deeds served as a reminder to me that it’s acceptable to accept assistance. Even though being a single father is still difficult, our unexpected guardian angels have made our life happier and more loving.
