My father passed away almost 5 years ago. It is still hard to believe he is gone. Small things every day remind me of him and sometimes I almost pick up the phone to tell him about something. His number is still one of the handful I know by heart.
It is easy to reinvent history, especially when it comes to someone you love dearly. I don’t do that with my dad or at least I try not to. He was a very flawed man in some ways, yet perfect in others. I miss him every day. Today, I honor him with five of the most important things that I learned from him.
In honor of Father’s Day, here is a list of 5 things I am grateful to have learned from my dad:
1. It’s never too late to do better. My dad was very busy working when we were kids. He rarely came home for dinner and never came to our school events. By the time Joel, my half-brother, was born in 1992, my father’s life had changed a lot and he never missed any of Joel’s events. He also came to some of mine – like every NYC marathon I ran while he was alive! People ask me if that bothered me. It did not. I was truly delighted that he learned from his mistakes and did better with Joel (and us!)
2. Generosity is the key to a happy life. My dad was always giving and sharing- especially with delicious food. The corollary to this is that you should always get enough to share (even if it is too much).
3. Any stranger is a potential friend. My dad had a warm, personable demeanor. He put people at ease and made friends everywhere he went. I like to think I inherited those characteristics.
4. It’s ok if you are the only one who laughs at your jokes. Dad loved the corny joke, the cornier the better. His laughter made it easier to laugh along.
5. Loyalty matters. My dad loved his friends, family and especially his Giants. Unconditionally – whether they were “winners” or not!
Happy Father’s Day to the dads out there. If you are lucky enough to have your father in your life, tell him the things you are grateful for – I bet he’ll be delighted.