Lessons from Our Dads: From the Funny to the Inspiring

Father’s Day is a great time to reflect on the lessons from our dads. What makes them interesting is that the lessons from our dads are usually different from the lessons from our moms. Our moms teach us the best way to make chocolate chip cookies, help us pick out our first shade of lipstick and why we shouldn’t go out with that boy.

The lessons from our dads can sometimes be a little more “practical”. When to change the oil in your car, how to write your resumé, and in Jen’s case, how to throw a baseball. Sometimes we almost forget the things that we’ve learned from our dads until we really start to think about them. And that’s what we’ve done here. We’ve given thought to the lessons from our dads and want to share them with all of you.

From Jen:

My Dad is the reason I’m a Harper Girl, and helped to make up half of who I am today. I’d like to think I got my sense of humor, and my business-savvy (among other things) from him.

What I didn’t get from him, unfortunately, is his athleticism. My Dad’s side of the family (including Aunt Dianne!) lived in Greece while my Dad was in high school. And I think it’s fair to say he ruled the school. He played every sport, could run a mile in under 5 minutes, and subsequently, was Homecoming King. I got none of those things.

The athleticism skipped me and went right to my sister, Brittany. She played basketball and softball, and I struggled my way through JV tennis. But my Dad never gave up taking me to the local tennis court to practice.

During my brief stint playing basketball during middle school, my Dad was our coach and rented out space for practices and taught my friends and I how to play. I may have played third-string 8th grade basketball, but I did win the free-throw competition!

And during my even more brief stint playing adult co-ed softball, my Dad bought me a pair of cleats and came to every game. And I was terrible. Bless my dad, in-between each inning, my Dad would call me over to the fence and tell me what I could do better. Odds of me getting any better were slim to none, but he tried.

The other thing I got from my Dad was not liking to do things I’m not good at. So my adult softball career didn’t last very long.

I’m grateful for my Dad’s commitment to showing up for my sister and me at every sports game or dance recital. Even though he has a full-time and demanding career, he always made time to be there for us.

I’ve always looked up to my Dad in my business career, and even more so now that I have a team I manage. He’s well-established and well-respected in his career, and has given me so much good advice over the years. When I got my first job, he gave me a Dilbert comic book, and said it would all make sense soon. And boy did it.

I would like to think I got my dry sense of humor from my Dad too. My Dad is hilarious, and we’ve got a lot of funny family stories that come out every so often. We’re always laughing about something, and adding to the arsenal of family stories.

But mostly, I love my Dad very much and, thankful I have him as a role model in my life, and as Grandpa to my daughter!

From Dianne:

*My Dad and me in Spain in the 1970’s. Note the camera in his hand. There’s not a lot of pictures of just him and me because he was always the photographer!*

When we scheduled this post a couple months back, I had no idea that my dad would have passed just a couple of weeks earlier. I don’t write that to make this sad or maudlin, but rather to make this a celebration of who he was and the last lesson that he taught me. And that last lesson? Resilience.

After my mom passed away in 2016, we were really concerned about my dad. She was a “traditional stay-at-home mom” and took care of everything, She was also a force to be reckoned with and ran our household. He never had to worry about anything.

But what came next was a surprise – he rallied! He didn’t curl up into a ball and feel sorry for himself. Of course he missed my mom terribly, but he had more life to live! He moved into an Assisted Living facility and right off the bat was elected as President of the Resident’s Council. The facility was brand new and he was asked to cut the ribbon and make a speech for the grand opening, all which he did perfectly.

My dad also had macular degeneration and hearing loss, but that didn’t stop him either. He went to movies, watched baseball games and still checked his email (yes, he was still surfing the web at 90 years old). Things got more difficult for him, but he persevered.

The lesson (and the example) that he gave to me was to never give up. No matter what the situation, there’s always a reason to get up in the morning. Sometimes we get so caught up in the busyness of the day and all the things that can go wrong that we can forget about all the things that have gone right. I know that I am guilty of that and I have to do better.

A long time ago, I heard a quote by Charles R. Swindoll, which you may be familiar with. It’s one of my all-time favorites and I am glad that reflecting on the lessons from my dad reminded me of it. I hope that it can resonate as much with you as it does with me. Enjoy!