My Father’s Books
Like my mother, my babi is a beacon of wisdom. Here are the lessons I treasure.
- Women are the heart of the family, and therefore, they deserve everything a man can give—and more. Without question.
- Households are a unit. You do what you can out of and for love (and so, he does it all: cook, clean, errands, laundry).
- You can create anything using only what you have. (He is the handiest and most creative, inventive person I know. One day I’ll write a list of all the things he crafted for fun—or out of necessity.)
- There is always a better deal. And there’s fun in saving money.
- Our civic duties, as Americans, is a blessing and a right. So, vote. Attend town hall meetings. Do it all because you can and change starts at home.
- Honey will move mountains. (Unfortunately, I take after my mother’s inability to be anything but straightforward.)
- Bend, don’t break. There is resiliency in flexibility and dogged determination.
- There is more good than bad in this world; you just have to open your heart to see it. (For example: His belief in American freedom and possibilities is so beautiful, it hurts.)
- Trust that there is a reason for everything. What is meant for you will be yours.
- Honesty and truth will always prevail. Let your life and choices be guided by them.
- The Bee Gees are one of the best, albeit most underrated, music groups of all time.
- Pick the bolder color. Why choose black? Why hide in neutrals? (He was the one who almost persuaded me to buy my first pair of “heels,” a patent platform Mary Jane in cherry red. Mom was reluctant about heels at all, and eventually, caved… but if I chose the black pair. I still think about that red shoe I left behind.)
- Just be yourself: which, second only to his love, was the best thing he ever taught—and gave me freedom—to be.
. . .
xx
Your turn. Thoughts?