By Joseph Nelson — Jun 15, 2025

Type of Guy

It's Father's Day 2025. For the last 24 months, I've catalogued specific acts Doc Nels (my dad) has done for others without second thought. This year, I'm publishing the running list so I can share it with him and remind myself to act similarly.

Doc Nels is the type of guy:

To leave your car with more gas in the tank than when he borrowed it.
To see a suitcase at the bottom of the steps – not knowing whose – and carry it to the top of the staircase to save someone else the trip.
To pull the neighbor's weeds because he was outside and saw them growing.
To say "Yes" when you ask if he can do a favor for you before hearing what the favor is.
To clip an article out a newspaper and mail it to you because he thought the story is one you'd also enjoy.
To cut the last one in half before taking some.
To send you this text at 6:41 AM 'on vacation' so you can help him rebuild a boardwalk for the family:

Doc Nels is the type of guy:

To take out the trash when he's visiting your house because he sees it's nearing full.
To gift you his old golf bag but then take it back in order to wash it for you because he realized it was dirtier than he'd like for you to receive.
To text you to remind you your prediction was right.
To walk your dog in the morning for you because he sees you wanted to sleep late.
To be serving as president of the Polk County Medical Society and not tell you; you only find out a decade later because it happened to be relevant to a story he's sharing about a colleague.
To bring your luggage to your room at 10:14 PM because he sees you've fallen asleep on the couch.
To go to the garage to find an extension cord for you to be able to plug in your phone, enabling you to stay in bed as you recover from COVID.
To ask for pliers upon arriving at your home because he used your bathroom and sees how to fix the sink.
To text you about the game without spoiling it.
To offer to drive you to the airport three hours away without hesitation.
To fill up the car for you – without you knowing – because you're planning to drive to the airport the next day.
To be president of his medical practice and step away for a rural practice hours away because it supports his hometown near where he grew up.

Doc Nels makes your problem his problem, and acts urgently to help. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I look forward to sharing the updated list next year.