My 12-year old nephew came home from school last night and asked me to help him research on a project for his science class. Today’s discussion was about different fire protection products, fire extinguishers and CO2 fire extinguishers. It was something that he was so excited about. Since he was five, friends and family members asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up and he always had the same answer: “I want to be a fireman.”

His father — my brother-in-law — was assigned to work in New York at the World Trade Center and was one of the victims of the 9/11 tragedy in 2001. Jake was too young to have a clear picture of the times he spent with his dad, but the stories he heard about his father made him wonder what it would have been like if the firefighters got there in time. Maybe he would have been saved. Maybe he would read to Jake every single night before he went to bed. Maybe he would teach Jake how to play baseball or football like most American fathers did.

All these maybes and what-ifs are tattooed on Jake’s young mind. When asked WHY he wanted to be a firefighter, he would reply that he wanted to save people and didn’t want other kids to feel the way he felt. He knows that kids need their fathers to be there for them while they’re growing up. He also wants to serve the community even if it would mean dealing with people’s worst days. He says the thought of you saving someone’s life from ending tragically is something that he can be proud of when he grows old and retires.

This kid makes me proud of how he turned out to be, even though he’s gone through some tough times. He’s a good example to people around him, young and old.