All of the values I hold dear were taught to me by my dad

Whether it was teaching me how to ride a bike (which was NOT the easiest task), or how to continuously embrace the amazing life that I have been given, my dad has, without a doubt, taught me everything there is to know about living life my way.

The crucial nature of his infinite words of wisdom have been engrained within my mind for as long as I can remember. He has shared stories of triumphs and many lessons learned, yet they all share one simple message: no matter the choices you are given, make sure the decision you make is exclusively your own. My dad’s life lessons have taught me many things, but above all, his most emphasized lesson has been that without family, an extraordinary life cannot be achieved.

Family first

Growing up surrounded by a large Irish-American family in Brooklyn, New York, one lesson that my dad has continuously taught me is that – no matter what – family always comes first. He has emphasized that friends often come and go, but family is forever, and by supporting them you are supporting yourself as well.

By living with this devotion toward creating and maintaining the foundational roots of family life, my father has also taught me that nothing worthwhile comes easy.

Hard work always pays off

I am sure that working six days a week, including most holidays, to provide for my family for well over twenty years has not been easy. But by working so hard, and being able to build a wonderful life for my family, my dad continues to be an all encompassing example that working hard at everything you do will always pay off in the end.

It’s normal to make mistakes

Constantly working yourself to the brink of exhaustion, a fair amount of mistakes are bound to occur from time to time. But something my dad has continued to teach me is that no one is perfect, and that mistakes are merely a part of human reality. Thus, by simply being human, we have all become exact by-products of the perfectly imperfect reality we have created through making said mistakes – and that is absolutely okay.

Stand up for what you believe in

Along with making mistakes, believing in something that is much bigger than myself is also something that my dad has highlighted as being a key to living your best life.

He has always taught me to speak up and stand up for the things that I believe in and to never let anyone undermine my aspirations. This taught me to never fear the discouragement of others, because such under appreciation only proves that your dreams are too tremendous for the narrow-minded to understand.

Altogether, my dad has taught me about the importance of independence, as well as the importance of the collective. He has taught me about pride, and individuality, and the cruciality of striving toward your biggest goals. Through his very own example, my dad has not only taught me about life, but he has given me the greatest life I could have ever asked for.