My Dad
“Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing and fighting my friends.”
Hi everyone,
I took a break from writing newsletters because, as many of you know, my father, Will, passed away recently. This newsletter is a tribute to a great man. He left behind him a legacy and thousands of wonderful memories for all who knew him.
It’s funny how most of us can avoid thinking about death in any serious fashion for months and sometimes years. It’s not a pleasant topic, but I think pushing it away from our daily reality is a mistake. Knowing that our lifespan on this planet is finite should give us a perspective that could change how we view every situation we encounter each day. It should make us more forgiving, more caring and more patient. Knowing that we’re all going to die relatively soon ought to prompt us to cherish each day and everyone and everything around us.
Here are a few take away life lessons from my dad that I am trying to implement into my life.
Never stop learning. After he retired, my dad became a permanent member of the student body of UW- Madison.
Embrace adventure. For his 80th birthday my dad went skydiving. He also flew a stunt plane until very recently. That’s right, a stunt plane-nose dives, flying upside down- that kind of stuff.
Keep a sense of humor. Dad brought a very silly, often ridiculous slant on life into almost every situation imaginable. Even when he was in the hospital, unable to move, he was cracking jokes with all of us.
Put others in front of yourself. Dad was there for pretty much every event and game I, and then my kids, participated in. He would always show up at our house any time I needed help with a repair or renovation project. You could tell he truly cared what was going on in all of our lives.
Work hard. Throughout my childhood, my dad had two jobs so we could have a little more money to do fun things. He worked as a high school teacher and on nights and weekends he ran a tv and radio repair shop out of our basement.
I’m sure that there are many more, but I need to keep this short. So, my advice in summary is, don’t be afraid to think about death. Embrace the notion that we’re all here for a short time and use that truth to allow yourself to let go of all the small, meaningless things that bring you to frustration, despair or sadness. Smile, take a deep breath, and enjoy.
Thanks Dad, for everything!
