Since Father’s Day is right around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to share some of what I have learned from my dad. Every boy’s first role model is his father. You believe him to be a man of Olympian strength, Einstein-like intellect, and the quintessential self-reliant individual as portrayed by Ralph Waldo Emerson. There was nothing he couldn’t fix or a problem he couldn’t solve. I remember watching many cowboy movies as a kid and assuming my dad would have made a better protagonist.
As we get older, we learn that our dad is human like everyone else, and if you are smart, you eventually relieve him of the pressures of sitting on a pedestal. However, many of the lessons we learn from our parents last a lifetime. My dad taught me the following:
- Big families are a good thing.
- You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
- If you are going to do something, do your best to do it right.
- Too much idleness isn’t good for you; get up and do something constructive.
- Never stop learning or paying attention to what’s happening in the world.
- There is much we can learn from having an informed opinion about the past.
- There is always something interesting about any place you visit.
- Traveling and seeing the world firsthand is better than wondering what it is all about.
- Celebrate your heritage — it’s part of what makes you who you are.
- Christmas is an incredibly special time of year.
- All people are worthy of manners and respect.
- Don’t judge others too harshly and keep your negative opinions to yourself.
- Social status is silly to get too caught up in — more isn’t always better.
- Small, thoughtful gifts show you care.
- As they grow, let your kids make mistakes and support them without judgment.
- Visit your kids often, regardless of where they live, and stay a while rather than making it a rushed visit.
- Welcome your children’s spouses into your family, whether you have much in common with them or not— it makes life much easier.
- A marital commitment isn’t only about when it’s easy, but most importantly, when it is hard.
- At a certain point in your life, you should strive to do what makes you happy.
My dad wasn’t perfect, but then again, no one is. Given his upbringing, he was a good man who did the best he could raising a family of seven children on a schoolteacher’s salary. I’ll be forever grateful that he preferred to open my mind rather than try to close it. He encouraged me to become my own person, which is a significant gift in and of itself. I’ve always known he loves me and would be there for me if needed. I let him off the pedestal long ago, but I still look up to him in many ways.
Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there!
Related articles
- Lessons From My Dad (capacity-building.com)
- Father’s Day: What I learned from my dads (womanmdsguide.com)
- Qualities of a Good Role Model (wisdomwithinconsultancy.com)
- Things My Fathers Taught Me (beniceorleavethanks.com)
- Fatherhood: Lessons Learned (parenttangoblog.wordpress.com)