My intention was to post this on Father’s Day, which was, heh, a month ago. You see, I unfortunately spent Father’s Day hungover, recovering from a wedding. WHICH REMINDS ME (actually, my grandma reminded me), I never followed up with you about which dress I ended up wearing. I ultimately went with Option Number One, as I thought it evoked a more wedding-y feel. Not to mention it was more conducive to dancing, which is basically all we did all night. Anyway, thanks for all your input!
So! As I said, my intention was to post a small sampling of some of the good advice my dad has given me, so here you go! (For those playing along, other Lessons Learned from Mom can be found here, here, and here.)
Always ask; the worst they can say is “no.”
This can be applied to anything, but in my case, my dad told me this in high-school, when I was nervous about asking for a raise at the drugstore where I worked. (I was asking for a dollar raise, hah! A DOLLAR. Those were the days.) Anyway, I was fretting about it and my dad said, “Just ask your boss. The worst he can say is no, but he might just say yes.” It’s so obvious, isn’t it? And yet, I feel that so many people are afraid to ask even the simplest of questions, when honestly, what’s the worst they can say? Life’s too short to wonder what might have been, so go ahead and ask! And hey, you might just get that raise! (Here’s hoping it’s more than a dollar.)
Relationships should be easy
People are always telling you “relationships are hard.” I personally had always been a little – for lack of a better word – worried about marriage because of this blanket, “OMG relationships are hard!!!” statement. (I never worried about marrying Chris, mind you, just when I was younger, I worried about what was so hard about marriage in general. How hard are we talking here? Will I be able to hack it? Or, will it be too hard for me?) And then I remember me and Chris having drinks with my mom and dad and my dad saying to me (about my relationship with Chris), “It just looks easy. Relationships should be easy.” And it’s so true! For the most part, relationships should be easy. I like you, you like me, let’s do this. Sure good relationships take work, but work does not have to equal difficulty.
It’s better than a sharp stick in the eye (or a swift kick in the ass)
Okay, okay, so this isn’t exactly advice, per say, but it was something my dad always said (still says) and man, isn’t it the truth? I mean, unless you’re being audited by the IRS or your cat died or you DID just get a swift kick in the ass…
Happy (way, way) belated Father’s Day, Dad! You’re the raddest!
What’s the best advice your dad ever gave you?