This weekend is my fourth Father’s Day without my dad. In his honor, I offer the following:

He came to America as a baby in his mother’s arms. At 17, he got his parent’s permission to join the Navy and proudly served his country in not one but two wars. He spent his career assisting in the care of others as an x-ray technician. He raised two daughters and was married to the same woman for 60 years. His health was not the best the last several years of his life, but his humor remained. His grand kids called him Pop. Sometimes, his wife called him “Idiot!”. 

To me he was Dad. 

I’d like to share some of the lessons he always told me (even the ones he didn’t follow himself 100% of the time) that I’ve tried to live by throughout my life. 
Things My Daddy Taught Me:

  • When you get up in the morning, you better enjoy the work you do and how you will spend your day, or else you’ll be miserable. 
  • It’s better to be a half hour early than 5 minutes late. 
  • Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who…and there’s a big difference between “book smart” and “street smart”.
  • Stay calm in an argument – the one who’s screaming looks like the idiot. Don’t give someone else the power to make you lose your cool. 
  • Appreciate the classics – in music, art, and literature. They live forever. Trends fade away. 
  • Hypocrites are a waste of your time. Invest, instead, in good friends. 
  • “The Godfather” is the best movie…Ever…Period. 


If you still have your dad, give him a big hug. And if you ARE a dad, trust me – your kids are listening. 
Happy Father’s Day!