Hopefully this isn't going to be an overly soppy Father's Day post, but more a celebration of the values my Dad has (perhaps unintentionally) passed on to me, just by living his life and being a pretty cool dude. You know, for a Dad.
1. Take your empty glasses back to the bar before you leave. Okay, we're starting small. It might sound silly, but bar staff always appreciate the gesture when you at least attempt to clean up after yourself. I always do this, and definitely picked the habit up from my Dad. Having now worked in retail, I fully appreciate customers who are polite and helpful!
2. Husbands can remember anniversaries. My Dad has always been just as good as my Mum (and sometimes better) at remembering special occasions. Every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember (and probably long before I existed!) he has had a bouquet of flowers delivered to my lovely Mum, no matter how busy he may have been in the run up to it.
3. Play your music loud (even when you're not allowed). Even now, my Dad will always have some of his favourite music blaring (under the guise of doing the washing up). When my Mum inevitably comes in to turn it down, he will slowly crank the volume back up until it's louder than it was before. Cue hilarity for my sister and me. Probably as a result of this, nothing cheers me up more than blasting music when I'm cleaning or getting ready.
4. Said music is best enjoyed whilst lying on the living room floor. Pretty self explanatory, really, but you should try it some time. Very therapeutic.
5. Work hard and save, save, save. My Dad is insanely good at saving money, and worked incredibly hard so that we could go on amazing holidays as a family and generally want for nothing as children and teenagers. I don't think I will ever be able to save the way he does, but I'm determined to try, in the hope of being able to provide a similar stability myself in the future. Being pretty much financially independent post-university feels brilliant, but I could never have done it without my Dad's help.
6. Travel, and don't be a chicken. We took some unbelievable trips as a family when I was growing up, including visits to Portugal, all over France and the USA and Bahrain. Since then, my parents have gone on to travel to Australia and India extensively. Last summer, my Dad even took part in the Great Circular European Railway Challenge and visited around 30 countries in less than three weeks. Basically grown up interrailing, but awesome, right? (He blogged during the experience, and his 'about me' makes me chuckle.) Sometimes when I travel I get nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing in an unfamiliar country and can be very shy, but I'm determined to be brave next time, like my old man.
7. Keep old friends close. My Dad is still very close with some of his friends from university and even school. So close, in fact, that they and their families are just like family to us. It makes me so happy to spend time with my old friends from high school and uni even just a few years down the line, so I will definitely do my best to keep in touch with them as we all start to grow old and grey! (No offence, Dad.)
8. Don't worry about what other people think, and never be embarrassed of who you are. This is the MOST important life lesson my Dad has ever taught me. I can't stress that enough. My father is a very smart, laid back guy with a great music taste. He also happens to love trains (a lot) and enjoys wearing some questionable tshirts (I think mostly to annoy my sister). Neon orange, anyone? He isn't cool on paper, but he is cool because he embraces his geekiness and never apologises for it. It's a big part of who he is, you know? And that's why I do my best never to worry about what other people think about me and my actions, particularly if I'm doing what makes me happy.
Happy Father's Day, to all the Dads out there, but especially mine.
3. Play your music loud (even when you're not allowed). Even now, my Dad will always have some of his favourite music blaring (under the guise of doing the washing up). When my Mum inevitably comes in to turn it down, he will slowly crank the volume back up until it's louder than it was before. Cue hilarity for my sister and me. Probably as a result of this, nothing cheers me up more than blasting music when I'm cleaning or getting ready.
4. Said music is best enjoyed whilst lying on the living room floor. Pretty self explanatory, really, but you should try it some time. Very therapeutic.
5. Work hard and save, save, save. My Dad is insanely good at saving money, and worked incredibly hard so that we could go on amazing holidays as a family and generally want for nothing as children and teenagers. I don't think I will ever be able to save the way he does, but I'm determined to try, in the hope of being able to provide a similar stability myself in the future. Being pretty much financially independent post-university feels brilliant, but I could never have done it without my Dad's help.
6. Travel, and don't be a chicken. We took some unbelievable trips as a family when I was growing up, including visits to Portugal, all over France and the USA and Bahrain. Since then, my parents have gone on to travel to Australia and India extensively. Last summer, my Dad even took part in the Great Circular European Railway Challenge and visited around 30 countries in less than three weeks. Basically grown up interrailing, but awesome, right? (He blogged during the experience, and his 'about me' makes me chuckle.) Sometimes when I travel I get nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing in an unfamiliar country and can be very shy, but I'm determined to be brave next time, like my old man.
7. Keep old friends close. My Dad is still very close with some of his friends from university and even school. So close, in fact, that they and their families are just like family to us. It makes me so happy to spend time with my old friends from high school and uni even just a few years down the line, so I will definitely do my best to keep in touch with them as we all start to grow old and grey! (No offence, Dad.)
8. Don't worry about what other people think, and never be embarrassed of who you are. This is the MOST important life lesson my Dad has ever taught me. I can't stress that enough. My father is a very smart, laid back guy with a great music taste. He also happens to love trains (a lot) and enjoys wearing some questionable tshirts (I think mostly to annoy my sister). Neon orange, anyone? He isn't cool on paper, but he is cool because he embraces his geekiness and never apologises for it. It's a big part of who he is, you know? And that's why I do my best never to worry about what other people think about me and my actions, particularly if I'm doing what makes me happy.
Happy Father's Day, to all the Dads out there, but especially mine.
