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Lessons I Learned
From My Daughter |
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At
some point during my journey it
occurred to me that my learning
was extending beyond just learning
how to become a good father. I had,
unknowingly, ventured into a time
and space where I began learning
how to become a better person.
Over
the years I've been in a constant
search for wisdom, understanding
and learning. Gail provided me with
so much to draw from. As her father
and friend there were many lessons
for me to both grapple with and
learn from. Here are just a few
of them for you fathers reading
this story:
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Avoid
confusing your title with the
real purpose of your work. Being
a great father means more than
just being a breadwinner. It means
being a counselor, coach, fan,
listener, doctor, silent partner,
teacher, referee, tax preparer,
special buddy, banker, adviser,
taster for cooking experiments,
the audience for bad jokes and
much more.
-
Success
is gender neutral. In the game
of life young ladies are capable
of hitting home runs too; sometimes
farther than the guys.
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Judging
people is bad; pre-judging (prejudice)
is even worse.
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For
men, an open display of affection
and love is an act of strength,
not weakness.
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Given
the choice, a woman’s intuition
is usually more reliable than
a man's pride (think about this
the next time you and your wife
get lost in traffic.)
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Actions
alone are not enough. If you don’t
tell others how much you love
them, they will never really know.
-
The
gift of life is not for living
in the past or in the future.
The gift of life is for living
in the "RIGHT NOW!!"
-
For
"Baby Boomer Dads!!"
Wearing knee high tube socks &
your old basketball shorts at
the Mall, hasn't been cool since
Kareem Abdul Jabarr retired.
-
Never
operate with a closed mind. It's
bad, but especially bad when it
comes to communicating with your
teen aged daughter. You must always
remain open to the possibility......
As
my relationship with my daughter grew,
these and other lessons began changing
many of my previously held stereotypical
views about females. Today, much of
what I’ve learned stems directly
from my journey with Gail. These lessons
have now become a key part of my value
system and they continue to serve
as the lens through which I view women
in my personal and professional life. |
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Tragedy!!
The Heaviest of All Burdens:
Not all of life's lessons come easy.
As I write these words I am carrying
the burden of learning. It is a burden
every parent hopes they will never
have to carry, for the weight is almost
unbearable. On December 13, 1997 Gail
passed away. As her father, friend
and admirer, her passing has been
an incredibly difficult blow. There
is no way to describe the hurt and
the loss. Family, friends and those
who knew Gail have all suffered along
with us as we have tried to cope with
the empty chasm that such a loss leaves.
As
jolting as this loss has been, I do
take some comfort in knowing that
Gail taught me so much while she was
here. In her passing, I have also
learned another valuable lesson. You
and I possess tremendous personal
power. It is personal power that,
if used positively, can allow each
of us to make an enormous difference
in someone else's life. What we learn
from our life's journey can sometimes
come at a high price. How we deal
with it can become the source of our
greatest gift to someone else. This
is something the truly great speakers
have always understood. I guess this
is why I continue to tell my story
of having "The Worlds' Most Beautiful
Daughter." I tell it in the hope
that it will touch and teach some
young father about a few of the many
lessons fathers can learn from their
daughters.
So,
I ask you, If you were called upon
today, to give the speech of your
life, what learning could you impart
to your audience. From what part of
your life's journey would you draw
upon for inspiration and motivation.
What are the sources of your learning?
Oh, Yes!! Would it make a suitable
gift for your listeners? |
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Beginning
A New Chapter, With A New Teacher:
I think Gail always considered me
to be a work in progress. There was
so much more she wanted to teach me,
but there just wasn’t enough
time. But, as was always her habit,
Gail made certain she took care of
her dear old dad before departing.
She assigned a new teacher to help
"Dear Old Dad," finish the
course. I suspect she's looking down
from heaven at this very moment and
urging my new teacher to get going.
You see, three weeks before leaving
on her journey to heaven, Gail blessed
us with a beautiful little granddaughter.
Now, little Brianna Nicole has the
task of teaching her granddad and
she is really serious about her work,
too. Setting up the classroom, dusting
off the same silly old games and laying
out her Mom's old lesson plans. Just
as dutifully as was her mom, Brianna
is determined to finish the task.
Here we go again, "Front and
center granddad, class is now in session."
For
the fathers and grandfathers reading
this article, I have a special caution
for you. Stay alert!
THIS IS LEARNING
YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!!
Thank
you Gail. Thank you for the lively
moments of laughter,
the loving moments of living and the
many joys of learning.
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