She knew boyfriend's dad was a school dropout—so when he graduated from Harvard, she gave him the gift of a lifetime
Some gifts might hold a deep and special meaning for a person. A man who recently graduated from Harvard received such a gift from his girlfriend. The man's dad had dropped out of school as a teen and had been suffering from dementia for the past few years. He had been very involved in the man's education throughout the time before his condition progressed, so his girlfriend got him a special graduation gift that highlighted how proud his dad must have been of him, per a Reddit post by u/A_Rogue_One.
"My girlfriend gifted me my father’s handwriting to keep forever," the man shared. "She got me a Happy Graduation gift! This is my father’s handwriting that he wrote on a card 10+ years ago. It says, 'Nothing is more satisfying than watching your educational talents grow.'" The man's father has dementia and has been "declining" over the past 5 years. "He had to drop out in the 9th grade, working as a sharecropper to support his parents and siblings with meager earnings in the American South." His father always stressed the importance of education and had been really invested in his son's education over the years.
"Due to his dementia, he wasn’t really able to communicate much during my recent graduation. But he was still happy to see me," the son pointed out. He added, "I recently graduated from Harvard after studying AI Governance and Tech Policy." The graduation gift was a card with the dad's handwriting in bold and big font and framed in a wooden frame and signed "with love, Dad." The man also shared a photo of himself in the graduation robes with his dad. Many people applauded the girlfriend for her thoughtful gift in the comments section of the thread.
u/Canadian1934 wrote, "Congratulations on the Harvard graduation. AI Governance and Tech policy sounds so innovative and technological! I am glad you made it through in due time. I love the picture of your dad’s handwriting, gifted from your girlfriend. She’s a keeper and your dad is amazing. I appreciate you." u/AC_Slaughter commented, "Your dad was a sharecropper and his son went to Harvard... As a parent, this is the greatest gift: To see the legacy of our sacrifices carried out through our children. Congratulations on your achievement and many blessings for a lifetime of happiness with your loving partner!"
u/cplcarman shared, "That's awesome. What a kind gesture! Before my dad passed away, he slipped into dementia. He was always a huge cut-up, telling jokes (most of them that I shouldn't have heard at my age as a kid), laughing, and very quick-witted. Towards the end, he would just sit in a chair, not engaging in any conversation. The most he would do is chuckle and say, 'Yeah' whenever you asked him a question. When he was in unfamiliar surroundings, like the hospital or a store, he had a hard time distinguishing those he knew (like family) from people he didn't know. Luckily, he never got to the point where he didn't recognize us at all. Everyone needs to spend as much time loving their friends and family as much as they can because there will be a last time you say hello or goodbye and you can never tell when it will be."