Just like any ordinary man, who is inclined towards having a well-to-do job, a good family
and necessities of life, Mr. Schofield too was of same aspirations. A simple man, who never
desired luxuries from life.
His family comprised of his wife, a son and his mother. All of them lived in the rented house
in the nearby locality of his office. Things worked well for them until the silent storm emerged
suddenly in their lives.
He lost his job… The only earning member of the family had lost his job. Nevertheless, he
hurriedly started to find new jobs to make it work for the family. Just in the course of finding
jobs, he realized the unstable health conditions of his mother.
She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer, the treatment of which required a lump sum to
keep her alive. He sold his current possessions (which wasn't enough for the treatment) to
save his mother, who he loved dearly. Seeing his mother on the hospital bed broke him
every day.
After a few days, he again set out to find a job to sustain his family. On the way, he also
dropped his son to school. Internally he was broken, cursed himself everyday for not having
enough money to save his mother had started to eat him up.
All he knew was, to protect his family and earn a living for them. While he was in the
interview for his job, he was constantly getting calls from his son’s school. Since the phone
was on silence, he didn’t receive the call.
Coming out of the interview room, he dialled the same number that had over 35 missed
calls. There was no response, immediately he received a call from his wife who was
panicking and asked him to reach the hospital close to his son's school.
The son had met with an accident while waiting for his father to pick him up after school. Just
as time passed by, he decided to cross the road by himself and a speeding truck had hit him
too hard to leave a single scope of life.
Already being traumatized by his present condition and his mother's death… This was not
something he had imagined in the worst situations of life.
The wife was broken to pieces and had grown numb, Mr. Schofield had nothing left to
assemble within himself. After one thing led to another, one can never get over losing their
kid. The wife couldn't take the pressure and split up her way with Mr. Schofield.
He indeed had lost everything, the only support and the shoulder to lean on, his wife too had
left him. Right when he needed her the most, she had left…
Several thoughts jumbled him, from regrets to cursing his luck and eventually falling into
depression … he had nothing left to live for.
The fortune, however, favored him in the end… He dedicated his whole life working for the
association that took care of old people and children who were left abandoned by their family
members.
He played several roles for all these children and old people, reflecting his mother and son in
each of them, which made him love them dearly. Today, he is a proud owner of an
association that takes care of such people as he manifests his happiness in taking care and
being there for them.
We get to learn a lot from his story, whether is it just women who have their hardships? Why
are we always sympathizing with women and ignoring the mental health of men? Are we so
consumed with the biased thought, ‘men should be strong, they should know how to handle
themselves’?
We need to realize that there is no gender discrimination when it comes to mental health.
Men, although most of them have a silent approach, they, however, go through a lot within
themselves as a by default trait.
We need to value the emotions of our breadwinner and protect their health in every way
possible. That's the least we can do for them. Get up just now and hug your dad, apologize
to him for giving him a rough time and be there for him instead… the happiness you'll offer
him by doing so, will make him smile in all his times!