Those of us who have had great fathers sometimes take it for granted, because there are a whole lot of people out there with dads who are…let’s just say, “less than stellar.”
And there are also a lot of people who’ve never had a father in the picture their entire lives.
But the people we’re about to hear from all had good dads who left them with very positive life lessons.
Let’s take a look at some very personal stories from folks on AskReddit.
1. It’s up to you.
“”You are the only person you have to live with for the rest of your life .”
In other words, take responsibility for what you do, learn how to move past your mistakes, and realize that your actions have consequences.”
2. Nothing is easy.
“If it was easy, everyone would do it.
This is what I have to remind myself when my job gets real tough.
Everyone in my family loves to quit when the going gets tough and it’s something I’ve really had to work hard to fight against.”
3. Use your ears.
“If you don’t know how to make things better, just listen.
Boy, was he right.
Not enough people know how to do this.”
4. You don’t need it.
“If you ever feel like you have a problem, just know you can live a full happy life without alcohol.
He couldn’t control it, and neither could I.
He gave it up so he could have his son in his life, I gave it up because of his example.”
5. Get outside.
“To appreciate nature. The power of sitting in silence and looking at the night sky.
When I was ten years old my dad took us out to the country to see the comet Hyukatake.
That ultimately set me on my passion in life and today I’m a professional astronomer.”
6. Exactly!
“Be kind, be polite, and saying you’ll be somewhere “on time” means 10 minutes early.”
7. The world is crazy.
“My favorite quote came from the early 2000’s.
He died 11 years ago.
“If the way this world works ever starts to make sense to you, you need to start worrying about yourself.””
8. Be curious.
“Curiosity.
Just being eager to learn how stuff works, in general. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, I just like to observe things and wonder things about them (might sound banal but a lot of people seem to lack this).”
9. Be kind.
“My dad taught me to always be kind.
Kindness isn’t loud, it doesn’t need to be stated. It should just be inherent in everything you do.
You don’t have to like everyone or treat them well if they don’t treat you well, but you should try to approach everyone with the same kindness you’d wish they’d give you.”
10. What it’s really about.
“Life is not about success, attaining things, status, etc.
Those things have a place, but they shouldn’t be your main focus. Instead, concentrate on being a better version of yourself.
Grow, learn, be honest with people and be honest with yourself (which is harder IMO). Cultivate real relationships with people.
Take care of and be grateful for the ones you love. It’s okay to fail, but it’s not okay to not try.”
11. Can’t please everyone.
“You’re going to disappoint/offend someone no matter what you do.
So if you know you’re doing the right thing, don’t let these people get to you.
I never thought I’d have to follow his advice for him.”
12. Words of wisdom.
“To always do what is honest. Never cheat, never try and get one- over on anybody, keep your word, show respect to everybody.
Family as a priority. Time and effort.
Words don’t need to wasted. Don’t talk for the sake of hearing your own voice. Speech has power, use it responsibly. Especially if it involves a good pun.
Education is everything.
Always lend a hand if you can.”
13. Don’t panic.
“My dad was in Vietnam as an infantryman. He has seen some sh*t. Growing up, whenever the situation called for it, he would always say “Never panic. If you panic, you’re dead.” I always thought he was exaggerating and thought “sure thing, dad.”
When I was barely nineteen, I was in Iraq. A rocket hit our barracks roof. The power went out, I couldn’t hear sh*t, and there was dust and smoke in the air making it difficult to breathe and see. Then I could hear him in my head say “Never panic. If you panic, you’re dead.”
And here I am, thirteen years later. Married, three kids. I found myself telling my family after a near miss of what would have been a horrible car accident while driving home from Florida last year to “never panic. Because if you panic…you’re dead.””
14. I love this.
“Being present is sometimes enough.
Know your worth and don’t lower your standards.
If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
He’s the most humble man I’ve ever met and I’m so grateful that he’s my dad.
He’s my hero but he’ll never understand why.”
15. It’s true.
“To kids, Time = Love.
My dad was always teaching me different things and doing all kind of activities with me, I was only seeing him one weekend on 2 while my mom had me the rest of the time and I actually don’t really remember doing anything at all with my mom besides 2 vacations we had together.
But my dad I remember he showed me how to ride a bike, do rollerblades, hiking, how to skate, skiing, gardening, going to bookstores or antique stores and more.
I remember much more clearly the days me and my dad did different activities and actually spend time doing stuffs together and I still have a really good relationship with him right now.
t also developed my curiosity to try new things and we still go on bike ride together once every summer even though he’s 73 now and I still love gardening with him and we exchange books these days too.
How about you?
What’s the most important lesson you learned from your father?
Talk to us in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
