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Happy Father's Day

On Father’s Day, I always remember what I’ve learned from my father.  He influenced my thinking on so many things.  He asked me on his death bed the one lesson I learned from him that changed my life the most.  I shared with him what he once told me when I was an early teen.  At the time, I was was just starting to deal with puberty and my mother’s life long mental illness. It was a very confusing time for me.  I asked my father what would help me understand life better.  I was hoping to get a simple lesson that would make my decisions easier.  

It took over 30 years to have my father open up and share his own beliefs and understanding of God . He wanted to make sure I was ready for the debate. He wanted me to have enough life to understand his perspectives on God.   

 He invested in me by helping to provide the best education life could buy. At 40, I repaid that investment, leaving my professional career to take care of him and my mother.  I was at the top of the corporate world, I advised many global leaders on big issues facing our world after 9/11, including our country’s leaders.  My four year sabbatical with my father and mother provided me an incredible experience. It was more valuable than all my formal education. My father gave me this poem near the end of his life.  He told me he read it in grade school and formed his life philosophy in a nutshell. It always brings tears to my eyes.