A STRONG MAN

My father, Rev. Benton T. Thompson Jr. was a very strong man all of his life. He was strong in his faith, strong in his service as a war veteran, strong as a coal miner in support of his family, strong as a father and husband when a flood took the lives of his two young daughters.                    

He taught all five of his sons how to be strong as well. 

My father’s message wasn’t the atypical one where men are taught not to cry or that they should never show emotion. Nor did he teach us to be a bully or prey on the weak. My father used a simple anecdote to teach us a very valuable life lesson.

One day there was woman in her home who had a dilemma. She had a very expensive rug in the middle of a room filled with furniture that she needed moved. The furniture was antique and very heavy. She wasn’t able to move it by herself so she sought the help of her well-built neighbor.

The neighbor flexed his huge muscles and began grappling and tussling with the furniture. He didn’t realize that we was beginning to damage the expensive rug.  The woman stopped him immediately. She was quite distraught.

Meanwhile, another neighbor who had witnessed the events offered his assistance. The woman reluctantly allowed him to try, even though he was not nearly the stature of the first volunteer. 

This neighbor gently lifted all the items requested and placed them in their new location. The woman was quite pleased.

My father expressed to us that the moral of the story was that it takes a really strong man to be gentle.

This is a Thompson Truth.