Father’s Day brings up memories of valuable life lessons taught by Dad

My sister Lori and I discuss memories of Dad (a true story).

Lori: Steve, aren’t you glad Dad was in our lives? He taught us so many things.

S: Like what?

L: Well, think about it. He taught us about the value of money, how to save and plan for the future. He believed in avoiding interest costs. He said live within your means, and invest your dollars wisely.

“Watch out for scam artists who approach you with schemes that seem too good to be true,” Dad used to warn. “If it’s such a great deal, then why do they need you? The big guys would have jumped on it long before you’d ever have a chance to see it!”

S: Hummm. I guess he did say that. But I didn’t always listen.

Sometimes I had to learn the hard way. But he was always right in the end.

Dad’s medical background made him a great teacher on health issues too. Remember, “Stay away from sugar?” I guess that’s why I only have one cavity.

L: That’s right. He also believed in balanced meals and eating in moderation.

S: I recall one night when he came home from medical school at the University of Michigan and said he’d learned something interesting that day.

L: Oh? What was that?

S: He said not everyone’s urine has a distinct effluvium after eating asparagus.

L: brother dear, would remember that! He also said never trust the “doctor” who has a unique cure that no one else has.

This is a sure sign of a quack.

S: But let’s move on. Dad had a talent as a good basic mechanic. He also knew a lot about electricity. His knowledge saved me from electrocution a couple of times. I learned how to build radios and stereos.

L: Yeah, and I learned how to work on my Volkswagen. I rarely needed a service tech after his guidance.

And he gave me some good advice on relationships, especially concerning the opposite sex.

S: OK, let’s hear it.

L: He said young guys are basically after one thing, and they will tell you what you want to hear in order to accomplish their goal.

S: Wow! That sounds awfully cynical.

L: Maybe so, but it saved me a lot of emotional hurt by going into relationships with my eyes open.

S: Dad did not have a legal background, but he was wise about signing contracts and was way ahead of his time by saying, “Don’t put anything in writing if you don’t want it to live forever.”

L: I see what you mean. That definitely applies to social media today.

He was also ahead of his time by saying, “Don’t go to college unless it’s training for a job that you can get right out of school.” He showed wisdom by teaching us: “All races are alike. There are good and bad people in all.”

S: He was a man who believed in integrity and that your word was your bond. I remember him telling me, “Don’t cheat people! It will come back to haunt you.”

L: Yes, and he also told us to speak proper English. We should demonstrate good manners and social skills. If we don’t, others will judge us as ignorant.

S: So true. But let’s face it. He was not a perfect person and often could not live up to his own ideals. So, I guess it was easy for me as a young person to see him as hypocritical. But later in life, I learned that understanding hypocrisy starts by looking in the mirror.

L: He was quite opinionated about some things. His size and voice could be intimidating. He didn’t always respect our likes, wishes and beliefs.

S: That used to bother me as well. But much later in life, he confessed to me that: “It’s true I wanted you to do things my way. That’s because it worked so well for me. I just didn’t realize people were so different and had unique talents, which needed to be respected and nurtured.”

L: Bottom line is we learned a lot from Dad, and our life paths could have been a lot different without his guiding hand.

S: Yep. I wish he could be here on Father’s Day so we could tell him how important he was in our lives.

L: Somehow in some way, Steve, I think he knows.