Billy is entering his senior year of high school and he has a lot to prepare and face. He is looking for a great university to enroll. Even during his summer break, he's always doing research on college and everything about being a senior in high school.
He wants to make his parents proud as his sister, Jessica, enrolled in Harvard and graduated as a valedictorian two years ago. He feels like he must follow his sister's footsteps, but his grades just aren't as good as his sister's. But still, he wants to work hard and get into a great college.
He sits in front of the bright laptop screen all day long for almost three weeks now, but he still can't get his mind straight. He wants to get into a great college and have a job that can make his parents proud, a job that can make a living for him, and set him into a great future. He thinks of enrolling as an engineering student, but he doesn't really enjoy math and science.
Since he was a kid, Billy likes sports and music, but he can't see himself being successful and live a fulfilled life working in those fields. The only thing that he thinks can make him live a great life is being an engineering student as that is where the smart students go and where rich people usually came from.
But, there's a conflict inside of him that he can't just let go. He wants to be a musician and truly enjoy his life, but he just doesn't have any confidence and it turns into stress and suffering to Billy.
Billy is stressed out. He just can't handle it anymore. He can't see himself being happy in the future. he can't visualize the future where he makes his parents proud. He has no hope in himself.
He wants to cry but his tears just won't fall down from his eyes, he wants to talk to somebody but he is too afraid that people will judge him and his parents will be disappointed with him.
He lives day by day without any hope and courage inside him, the sweet cereals he used to like every morning is now bland, the guitar strings that he used to play out wonderful notes are now only six strands of long wire that won't even give out any notes.
You can see it in his eyes that he has nothing but despair in his heart. You can see it from the way he walks, he can't even put his back straight. You can feel it in his words that he is searching for help.
His father, Jack, can see something is wrong with his son. So, one day, when Billy is sitting on his bed with his head down, Jack walks in.
"Hey, buddy, what's with the long face?" Jack asks Billy
"Nothing, dad. I'm just a little bit sleepy" Billy answers while trying to hide his pain
Jack can't say anything but he knows something is wrong so he just sits beside Billy and there's only silence for a while until Billy breaks down into tears.
"Actually, I'm...I'm not fine, dad.....Not at all" says Billy as he can't no longer hold his pain.
"Talk to me, it's okay. Tell me what's wrong" says Jack as he tries to comfort Billy.
"I want to be happy, dad. I... I want to make you proud too. But, I can't. I'm not brave enough dad" Billy cries. "I want to be happy and successful. I want to be the son you can be proud of. I want to be like Jess. She's smart while I'm just an average student"
"What do you mean, son?" Jack asks Billy. "I'm always proud of you, never in my life, I have ever doubted you. You are yourself, my boy. My only one in this world, you can do whatever you'd like to do. I'll always be with you, supporting you, no matter what."
"But, I can't dad," says Billy. "I....I just can't"
"Billy, take one step at a time. If you can't run, then walk first. If you can't walk, just crawl. If you can't crawl, take your time and just take a break from everything," Jack says to Billy. "You don't need to race with the whole world, you don't need to be like those billionaires or famous celebrities to make me proud and to be successful. For you to be here with me, talking with me, and being so strong to be able to live until now, even with all of your burdens, that is already something successful."
"You are great enough, Billy. Just be yourself, be whoever you want to be, I'll always be proud of you. No matter what," says Jack
Billy can't help but cry even harder. Jack pulls Billy to his arm and hugs him. Billy feels so blessed to have a great father that he can't even express it with words.