THE CLASSIC WISDOM OF FATHERS
Who do you look up to more as a kid than your dad? He’s a mountain man, a genius, taller and faster than your friend’s dad. He can do anything. And by the time you find out that maybe that’s not exactly accurate it really doesn’t matter any more. Whether
When we were little and my parents entertained, my father would always mix cocktails and we kids would deliver them to the guests. My dad would punctuate these special deliveries with, “Midget waiters! Makes the drinks look bigger!”
LEO, SON OF BUD
“Those of you who are standing around saying it can’t be done are bothering those of us who are doing it.”
DEWEY, FATHER OF JEAN
“YOU’RE A CHAMPION!”
JIM MCHUGH, FATHER OF ERIN
“THERE ARE MORE TIDES THAN SAILORS,” DAD SAID, WHICH MEANT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ANOTHER CHANCE.
RAQUEL, DAUGHTER OF DANIEL
“Never marry for money. Just hang out with a lot of rich people and fall in love.”
HOWARD, FATHER OF BENJAMIN
“THERE IS ONLY ONE THING YOU CAN BOTH KEEP AND GIVE: YOUR WORD.”
CASEY, FATHER OF PETER AND PAUL
When we kids were surprised at my dad’s youthful experiences: “Did you think I was born old?”
RAUL, SON OF RAUL
“If you don’t invest very much, then defeat doesn’t hurt very much and winning is not very exciting.”
DICK, GRANDFATHER OF TOMMY
“WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK OF YOU IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.”
CHARLIE, FATHER OF LISA
Whenever I was about to do something foolish or dangerous - or something, I suppose, that simply displeased my father - he would say, “Don’t let fear and a little common sense stop you.”
TODD, SON OF RON “You can’t plough potatoes and look at the stars.”
ARTHUR, FATHER OF EDMÉE “NEVER TRUST ANYONE WHO SAYS, ‘ TRUST ME.’”
HAL, FATHER OF BRAD “The squeaky wheel gets replaced.” JACK, FATHER OF ANNE Every time I walked into a room and said “Oh, God!”, he’d say, “Just Dad will do.”
EMILY, DAUGHTER OF DICK MY FATHER CONCLUDES EVERY NOTE HE HAS EVER SENT ME WITH “LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER NO MATTER WHAT.” EVEN WHEN HE TEXTS ME HE SIGNS OFF WITH “LUFE&ENMW - LD.”
HILARY, DAUGHTER OF PETER “Don’t forget to call.” Before mobile phones, when the dreaded long-distance charges were still exorbitant, my father always wanted us to call home by ringing the phone once and then hanging up when we got to our destination. That was how he knew we had arrived safely.
PATRICIA, DAUGHTER OF JOE IN THE SIXTIES, WHEN MY BROTHERS WOULD BRING THEIR LONGHAIRED “HIPPIE” FRIENDS HOME TO DINNER, MY FATHER WOULD SIT AT THE END OF THE DINING ROOM TABLE AND ASK, “SO, ANY NEWS ON THE BARBER STRIKE?” AN EMBARRASSMENT EVERY TIME.
AMY, DAUGHTER OF JIM
ANY TIME YOU ASKED MY FATHER TO DO SOMETHING HE DIDN’T WANT TO DO, HE’D SAY, “I’M AFRAID I CAN’T DO THAT. I’VE GOT A BONE IN MY LEG.”
BRYAN, SON OF CARL “KEEP IT SIMPLE.” JACK, FATHER OF NANCY My father was an amateur handyman around the house, which is no doubt where I got my willingness to jump into home projects. One thing he always said was, “Measure twice, cut once!” I live by this little saying in all things in life.
HOWIE, SON OF TED There were a lot of us in our house, so when someone got sick, the warning went out. My father would exclaim, “There’s a fungus among us!”
OLIVE, DAUGHTER OF TOM JUST BEFORE HE WALKED ME DOWN THE AISLE, MY DAD SAID, “THESE SPECIAL MOMENTS NEED TO BE REMEMBERED. OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT EVERYONE. SOMEDAY YOU WILL BE GLAD FOR THESE MEMORIES.”
FAITH, DAUGHTER OF PETE