Nuggets of wisdom from my father....

   It is Father's Day tomorrow. Sunday, June 16th, 2013.

 

   If you are hoping for a blog about what a father means or what it takes to be a father, this is not it. That would be too long to write and I will be subjective about it anyway. Nothing wrong with writing a very long blog, I suppose but who my father is and how great he is will just make you feel as equally proud of your Dad or worst, you will feel so bad of how a lousy Dad you have, now, what is good in that. So, we go on...

 

   It seems like I have taken a new tradition of writing about wisdoms I have learned in life from my Dad on this blog every year, I love it. And I think I will stick with doing this since it is once a year anyways...this blog will not encompass all the life lessons I have learned from my "Tatay" but what I have learned from him these last 12 months. There are somethings that only a father knows best. Considering, I am his only daughter in a family of mostly boys, there is comfort in the very thought and very fact that he is always on my side and has my back covered.

 

   I dedicate this post to him. Tay, Happy Father's Day! Someone up there must really, really like me to give you to me as my father. You are the best!!

 

 Nuggets of wisdom I have learned from my father this year :

 

. A major communication component in any relationship is listening.

. Listen closer to the non-verbal language as you would what is actually being said.

. Never give advise, unless solicited.

. Wash glasses first before washing the plates.

. Have a reliable mechanic's number on your phone.

. If you ever have to judge a man's character, first check how neat he is. Start from there.

. The devil is in the details.

. If you have a cold, stay at home.

. Family come first; and second only to GOD.

. Drink your weight in water.

. Dry skin will never be in fashion.

. Always have a pen handy.

. Don't drink more than 2 drinks because you would want to avoid doing or saying something that you will not be so proud of the morning after.

. "Once a cheater, always a cheater" is B*llSh*t! Guys learn!!

. When it comes to looking at women, allow your man to look, ogle if he must. But draw the line at touching.

. Children are great. Grandkids are greater but great-grand kids are the best!

. Blast the radio in your own car but when using mine, turn that thing off when you get out of my car.

. There is good in goodbye.

. Always wear fresh underwear when going on a long drive just in case you get into an accident, you would want the EMT to see some nice undies on you. You get better treatment and stat!!

 

   Sometimes the best lessons my father has taught me are not the things he really meant to set out and teach me. Some of these lessons are often times unintentional but he always take time to share the lessons he has learned and then in the process I learn without going through the pains and angst of it.

   My father is a man of science but he never misses going to Sunday service. He believes in both science and religion. He says sometimes, faith is hard to sustain but as he lives he tries to be the best human being he can be.

   When my mother died, my father was a pillar of strength to all of us. He never quivered nor was he shaken. He always had his act together, but I saw how he cried. And grief is something that we personally experience and not for the whole world to witness. His beauty, his faith and his strength emanates from within him. I admire that about him. He can be funny too. We share our love of laughing at good jokes and good books. We love words in general. I take pride in sometimes still being able to add to his already extensive vocabulary and he likes it when he can stump me on definitions. Not an easy feat. At times, without blinking, I might know the meaning but I just give him the pleasure of thinking I don't because the smile on his face as it hits his eyes, by golly, is precious (beyond priceless!).

 

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. Do what comes from the heart and do everything with love. I guess that's a good definition of a father. No one wants a perfect Dad, I don't. For that's too much to expect of a man and hard to live up to.

 

Love the one you have and I am sure he will love you more than you can humanly imagine.

 

Happy Tatay's Day!