Sunday, June 17, 2007

Lessons Learned From My Dad

Today, I’d like to share with you four things I’ve learned from my Dad:

Go The Extra Mile
My Dad likes to drive. He believes family is important. He knows that the way to maintain our connections with each other, is to talk with and to see each other. If there is a family event, he’s the one to make sure we’re all there. All of my life, if it was possible to get together by driving, we did.

Now that flying is a little cheaper for long distances, sometimes we fly. But whatever the method of transportation, my Dad is the one who encourages us to make the extra effort, literally “go the extra mile,” to let our friends and family know that we appreciate them and love to spend time with them.

If You See A Problem You Can Fix, Do It.
If You’ve Never Done It Before, Give It A Try Anyway.
My Dad taught himself how to fix many things, as a mechanical engineer, he is good at fixing things. What it took me a few years to understand, was that Dad didn’t know everything—but he knew where to look and he wasn’t afraid to try something new.

Whether it was the car, the house, the plumbing, electrical wiring or a bicycle, Dad was ready to tackle the job. I have four sisters and Dad wasn’t about to lose helpers by following old-fashioned ideas of what girls could or could not do. He taught us to read instructions and ask questions. He taught us to look at a problem from a different angle when we ran into an obstacle. He taught us to be independent, but also to ask for help when we got into deep water.

Read—Share Stories With Others
My Dad has always read the newspaper out loud to my Mom while she’s fixing dinner. We always had something to read in our house: magazines, short stories and books. There is something wonderful about reading out loud to each other and sharing a story with another person; both of you experiencing the story as you read—that is more exciting than reading alone.

And Of Course, Great Conversations
In person, by telephone, by letter or email. Dinner conversations are usually the best. Spending time over a leisurely dinner, catching up on each other’s lives—talking, listening, laughing and eating. What great memories.

My Dad is a generous man, extraordinarily giving with his time to his family, his friends and his community. I’ve learned so much about honor, integrity, ethics, doing what’s right, and doing your best from him.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
Love,
Ellen


Ellen Wass Beckerman
Writer/Photographer/Graphic Designer
Photography portfolio: www.istockphoto.com/zmacgal
www.gardentextures.com