Pay it Forward

My Dad, Bill Absher is one who always paid it forward.  I have been reminded of that fact frequently in the last several years.  We bought the Poff house next to the folks 3 or 4 years ago and needed a lot of assistance in remodeling it.  At least two craftsmen that we used gave Dad credit for helping them get started in their respective trades. I've had several conversations with Jewel at the Bug Shop about how Dad worked with him to replace one window at a time in his starter home.  A neighbor that Dad allowed to use his pasture stops by frequently with eggs.

I hope the Blacksburg United Methodist Church gives all their senior citizens the care my folks get, but I don't  see how they could.  Since my parents have been pretty much homebound, the broadcast of the Sunday 11 A. M. service has been important to them.  The church needed to stop that, but the pastor knew how they counted on hearing the service.  He brought them a speaker phone, and the sound technician at the church used the same set-up he used for the radio to give the senior Abshers their own broadcast.

This reminds me of the service Dad provided to BUMC as a trustee and as an unpaid maintenance man. He was always at the church.   One of my favorite stories is about Mother calling the church and asking the secretary to add some home chores she had to Bill Absher's to-do list.  Dad got to be friends with Mark Smith soon after he and his family moved to Blacksburg.  Dad let the Smiths have a garden on his property and coached the son in woodworking for his Eagle Scout project. Mark taught Dad's Sunday School Class for years but moved from Blacksburg 2 or 3 years ago.  Now when he comes back for a visit, he teaches Sunday School in the folk's living room.  He has taught classes of 3 to 15 in that room.  A week rarely goes by without visitors from the church.

Diane Tony is a good friend of my sister.  Her dad operated a saw mill in the valley. She has organized private concerts and sing-alongs in the Absher living room.  And I have cousins that are faithful in their visits.  Of course, my sister's care is constant.  These examples are just a few of the reminders of how Dad served customers, family, church, and friends and they remember to pay back.

This is not only a reminder for me to "pay it forward" but to pay back those that have done so much for me.