9 Things I Learned From My Dad

Intelligence is not the same as common sense. Dad loves to point out how smart people often did dumb things. It was frequent dinnertime conversation at home. Like the time my friend drove on the exit ramp of the highway or when my brother walked miles down the beach without sunscreen and ended up in the emergency room or when I cracked an egg on his lap (last week)...it boggled his mind!

Never pay someone to do something you can do yourself. (If you don't know how to do something, learn.) My dad never pays someone to change the oil, cut the firewood, paint the house, build his barn...he always learned how to do it himself or found a friend or book to teach him. I think I've inherited his frugal tendencies, because I cringe when I have to shell out money for something I think, possibly I could figure out how to do!

Saturdays are sacred. Dad works hard at the office Monday through Friday and Sunday is family day so Saturdays are THE day to get house or yard projects done. If something happens to prevent him from getting an early start (or to cut his day short), he is famous for saying, "The whole day is shot!"

A small sacrifice is huge in the eyes of your child. I asked Dad to take me to a church roller skating event when I was 13 or 14. I know he didn't want to spend that Monday evening hanging out at the roller skating rink with a bunch of teenagers, but he did it, and I'll always remember it.

Spending time with the Lord is priority. Dad leaves for work early in the morning and, though I only recall him grabbing breakfast on occasion, I remember him pausing to read his Bible on the couch before walking out the door.

If you don't know the words to a song, make them up! Dad led the worship at our church for several years when I was a young teenager. If he forgot the words, he kept singing anyway. On the drive home, we would laugh at the new phrases he wrote, but they sure sounded pretty good on the spot!

US Route 50 runs 3073 miles from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California. This fact made an impression on my dad so we heard it approximately 3073 times while growing up!

Turn off the lights when you leave a room. "Who's in the dining room?" he would say. Interpreted: Why are the lights on if I can't see anyone in there?

Beans are good for your heart. Enough said.

Kristin