Every Tuesday, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. Every March, the Slice of Life Challenge is a month-long experience where Slicers post every single day for the entire month. I'm joining in on the monthly challenge this year! For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here.
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On Thursday, I wrote about my mom. I love my mom. Lots. But to be honest, I'm much more of a daddy's girl. I get along well with my mom - because she's just awesome, really, but my dad and I click in a different way.
Last month, I presented at Bartlett High School Writers Week and at the end, I invited the students to ask questions about me and my writing. One of the students wanted to know what inspired me. At first, I listed some authors who have really inspired me as a writer but then I realized that on a personal level, my dad has been the most inspirational to me as a writer but more importantly, as a person.
Growing up, I lived about half a mile from the bus stop so my dad would drive me there every morning. We would sit in the car and chat while we waited for the bus to come. I can remember lots of times when I'm sure I was complaining to my dad about school or friends. Honestly, I don't remember what we talked about but I do remember the advice my dad often gave me. I believe he read this quote somewhere but I've asked him and he's not sure where he read it. (If you know who this comes from please tell me!)
"Anything is possible
if broken down
into manageable segments,
stabilized by balance,
and purified by belief."
-Unknown
Sometimes it was downright frustrating because I wanted my dad to just tell me what to do or agree with me how hard something was. But what I learned from this advice was that I can do anything I set my mind to. He helped instill in me the idea of a growth mindset that I still value and live to this day.
I think this idea of being able to accomplish anything is probably the biggest thing my dad taught me. It was only his words that taught me this, there were times when his actions showed me this, too.
- My dad loves to cook. On his day's off, he would spend time in the kitchen, putting together fancy meals that we would eat at the dining room table with soft music and candles aglow. We had to sit up straight with our legs in front of us and were expected to at least try everything on our plates - even if there were mushrooms, asparagus, or brussels sprouts involved. But what amazed me about my dad and his cooking was that he would add different ingredients, taste it, and then make changes. He was never afraid to experiment - to see what would happen and to adjust from there.
- Any time we were out at a store or a restaurant, he expected good service and would always stand up for this. Sometimes he wasn't the most tactful...but I believe it helped contribute to my high expectations for doing things right and going the extra mile no matter what. I also learned to advocate for myself and for others from watching my dad.
- Remember how I said my mom takes her time to make decisions while I would much rather make a decision and then go from there? Yeah, that's totally from my dad. He sometimes gets flustered with my mom when she goes around in circles trying to make a decision, too. Again, my dad is much more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person. He's good at having a positive outlook and not dwelling on problems. It all goes back to his infamous advice - you can work through anything, just break it into little pieces, don't stress and just believe you can do it.
Taking the time to write about my mom and now to write about my dad, helps me see how much they have influenced the person I am today. I'm again and still so lucky to have them in my life and to know how much they contributed to all I have accomplished in my life (so far!).
To read my previous Slice of Life posts, click on any link below:
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