A student received a letter in the mail that seemed too good to be true. The letter said his $68,000 student loan was completely paid off. At first, he thought someone was trying to trick them. But when he called the loan company, he found out it was real. Someone in his family had paid the whole thing.
The student posted about this on Reddit under the username u/ScoreDesperate6433. The post quickly became popular, getting more than 16,000 likes in just two days. People were moved by what happened next in the story. When the student called his dad crying and thanking him, he told him not to worry about it. He said to just focus on living life.
But a few weeks later, the student learned how his father got that much money. He had sold his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This was not just any bike. He had been fixing it up since before his child was even born. He always called it his retirement ride. He sold it quietly to someone in another state and used all the money to pay off the debt. The dad is 61 years old and works at a plant doing maintenance. His knees hurt badly. That motorcycle was the only special thing he ever bought for himself.
This is sweet but also really sad
This story got so much attention because lots of Americans are dealing with student loans. Right now, people in the US owe $1.81 trillion in student debt. The typical person with student loans owes about $39,000. More than 42 million Americans have these loans from the government.
The comments on the post were full of advice and support. One user named Zaphod392 wrote, “You give that man a hug and love him as much as you can, that’s what you do.” Another person, No-Mechanic-3048, said the student should help his dad out with money when he can, adding, “Healthy families support each other.” Some suggested buying the dad a new Harley if possible, or getting him another bike he could work on restoring once he retires.
One commenter named santacruzbiker50 gave emotional advice, saying, “Talk to him! Tell him all of what you just told the internet. Tell him more. Tell him everything. Tell him you love him. Do it now.” The user, who is a father around the same age, described himself as “a son of a generous yet recalcitrant man.”
Another person pointed out that since the dad’s knees are in bad shape, he probably would not be able to ride in retirement anyway, noting that “knees are pretty important.” Just like a Starbucks worker who did unprecedented things on their last day, sometimes people make big choices when they reach important moments.
This story shows a tough problem many families deal with today. Parents give up things they care about so their kids do not get crushed by debt. Student loans are now the second biggest type of debt in America, right after house loans. Different people feel the weight of this problem in different ways. Similar to the Florida man who exposed what really happens with premium oil services, sometimes the truth about a situation is not what people expected.
The student now feels loved but also guilty. He understands his dad gave up something huge for them. No one should have to stop chasing their dreams just to pay for school. But this keeps happening to families all over the country as college gets more expensive and debt keeps piling up.
