For years, I harbored resentment towards my father for abandoning me. One day, he appeared at my door, homeless and seeking shelter.

“Hi, son. I’m sorry to come like this,” he said. “I don’t have a place right now.”

“You can stay, but you have to pay rent,” I replied coldly.

My wife, Julie, urged me to forgive him. She didn’t understand my pain. “You don’t know! You don’t understand,” I told her.

Frustrated, I went for a walk and saw a man sleeping on a bench. It was my dad. “Dad, wake up! Are you OK?”

“Nick, is that you? I just wanted you to do good in life,” he said tearfully. He explained he pushed me to pay rent to motivate me to move on and succeed.

I finally saw his intentions were good. “If it wasn’t for you, I would have stayed on the couch and achieved nothing,” I admitted. We forgave each other, realizing his actions led me to success.

“Let’s go home, Dad. We have a lot to talk about,” I said, understanding his side. We reconciled, and I revealed Julie was pregnant.

“Wait, what? Is Julie pregnant?!” he asked, overjoyed.

For the first time, I let go of my anger and embraced my father, starting a new chapter of forgiveness and understanding.