10 Lessons I've Learned From My Dad

Above: Me and my dad at the beach many years ago. He's coming to visit in two weeks...maybe we should reenact this pic?

My dad has taught me a lot. As you probably already know from reading the blog, he's quite a character, and while bringing me lots of laughs and lots of embarrassment over the years, he has also been my total rock, touchpoint and supporter. 

So, in honor of Father's Day, which is just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share 10 Lessons I've Learned from My Dad:

1. Style is in the eye of the beholder. 
My dad has the worst/best personal style. Why "worst/best," you ask? Because he's kind of fabulously clueless but he also gets into certain things that he wears. For instance, he'll wear a sweater with a hole in it, but he'll be psyched that he found this "nice black cashmere sweater" in a box in the attic. He'll purposefully pair a bright-colored pair of socks with his Tevas because he thinks it adds a fun pop of color, and then he'll pair this "look" with some faded black jeans from the thrift store. He'll wear an embroidered vest over a white button down shirt to dress things up for a special event. 

The guy, he's a bit fuzzy on current styles, but he's trying and he has certain things that he likes and you kind of have to love it. If he likes what he's wearing and he doesn't look like a total mess, who really cares, ya know? 

2. Stuff really doesn't matter.
My dad has never been that into stuff. Experiences? Yes. People? Yes. Arts + culture? Yes. Activities, sports, nature? Yes. Stuff? Nope. It's just stuff. 

3. Being a good listener can make all the difference.
My dad is a therapist, teacher, and high school counselor, and he has incredible listening skills. Watching him interact with people who aren't yet used to his listening skills is great, as they're always surprised at how interested and attentive he can be. I've learned a lot about communication just by watching him listen, and I believe that really listening when someone talks is an amazing gift.

4. Waste nothing and love the earth. I've already explained this lesson to you ;)
 
5. The best way to support someone is to be there for them through it all. 
My dad is THERE for his kids. He truly cares about our lives, our feelings, the little insignificant details of our days, and our relationships. He's been known to stay on the phone with me for about 2 hours to help me process a big life decision, he calls my husband just to talk, he reads my blog and emails me with his thoughts about my posts--he's just there in every way. Simply put, he's available, and that is a very special thing to be for someone.

6. There is lots of good in the world if you just stop and look around.
My dad always sees the good in the world and I think because of this, the world reflects this back to him. He loses his wallet and someone calls to tell him that it was found and dropped off at his doctor's office. His cell drops out of his pocket while riding his bike down a busy road, and the person calls me (!) to tell me they found this phone and want to return it to the owner. He sees the world as a good place and the people in it as mostly wonderful, and in turn, the world shows him this. I think he's much happier for it, and we could all take a little something from this... 

7. You can make up a song about anything. 
Yep, anything, really...you know that sign that you see sometimes that says "Look twice, save a life, motorcycles are everywhere"? My dad has a song about that. And actually, it's pretty catchy... 

8. You're never too old or too busy to try something new. 
My dad has always loved music. He loves to sing, play guitar, and drum, but in the past 20 years or so he hasn't done too much with it besides jamming in the house with my brothers and/or with his friends. But last year, at 61, he finally joined a singing group and started singing once a week. Similarly, he developed a really consistent yoga practice a few years ago, after I started teaching, and has made that a part of his life in his 60s. He learned how to play hockey at about 40, when my brothers got into it, and still plays in a weekly league. Now he's talking about taking an improv class. My dad is always open to learning new things, even as he gets older, and I think this is an amazing way to live. 

9. Be yourself. 
My dad has been known to sing [outloud] in the grocery store. He'll dance anywhere and everywhere if he hears a beat he likes. He keeps mouthwash in his car and sometimes at a red light he'll take a sip, gargle it around, and then open his car door and spit it on the ground [this horrifies his daughter].  If there's one thing that my dad doesn't worry about, it's what other people think. 

10. How to stay healthy: be active, eat well, get outside, sleep, stay in touch with your emotions, and perhaps, drink a little vino every once in a while. 
I think that about sums up my dad's health routine ;) 

What lessons has your dad taught you? With Father's Day right around the corner, it's definitely worth thinking about... 

Speaking of fabulous fathers and lessons and celebrating dads, Oral-B at Target is currently hosting the Power Dad’s Smile Everyday Sweepstakes with over $1,000 in prizes! To enter, just share a photo of you and your Dad on Twitter or Instagram using #oralbsweeps between June 2 and June 15 (Sunday!). 

You could win the "Father’s Day Power Bundle" which includes the Oral-B Black ProfessionalCare 1000 Rechargeable Toothbrush (#1 dentist-recommended toothbrush brand worldwide), the Braun Series 7 760 shaver and a $250 Target GiftCard!

I know I'll be entering, and I hope you will, too ;)

Yay for INCREDIBLE dads and all of the valuable life lessons that they teach us! 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.