Lessons from My Father
The man who shaped my positive view of life.
My dad taught me how being patient and speaking fewer words can often be more impactful than saying a lot.
Growing up Dad worked 6 days/week, went to college 2 nights/week for 12 years to get his college degree and studied on Sundays. Somehow, he was also very present in my life. He taught me how to do what it takes to provide for your family while still being present for the ones you love – a much needed lesson from my father.
In 1973, at age 12, I received a formative lesson from my father (and mom). White parents in Canarsie, Brooklyn kept their kids home from school for two weeks to boycott school integration via bussing. My parents sent me to school, making clear they didn’t support the boycott. I was 1 of 3 kids out of 40 in my home room to attend.
A few days before he died, while home in bed under hospice care, my dad was encouraging a friend to take his wife on the vacation they had talked about for years but not taken. He said:
I traveled to 25 countries, have a great family and have done the things I wanted to do. I have no regrets. Take that vacation. When you are in my situation, you don’t want to have any regrets.