GIFTS. Lessons from my Father.

In honor of my Dad's birthday, sharing a post I was asked to author describing my most memorable gift.

GIFTS.

I can think of a handful of gifts I’ve received through the years. My first pair of Jordan’s at age 10, purchased by Mom when I’m sure they were not in the family budget are a favorite. I slept with them on for 2 weeks.

Yet a “gift” that keeps on giving years after I received it is the “worker’s mentality" my Dad gave me.

When I received this gift, I hardly saw it as such. I was 16, my Dad was continuing to get promoted at work. We lived in a nice house. The neighborhood had the “nicer” things – alligators on shirts and fancy bikes. A summer day was deciding whether to spend the day golfing or swimming at the country club. Keeping up with the "Joneses'" became a real thing and I was likely heading down a path of entitlement.

Despite this social status climb, my Dad was quick to bring things back to reality for me. He told me my summer would require I get a job. So while my friends hit the water, I was hitting the grocery store as a "courtesy clerk" aka "bagger". Instead of hitting the pool, my summer consisted of "paper or plastic?", bottle deposit sorting, and fetching shopping carts in the parking lot. I worked long hours that summer making $4.75/hr. After taxes, I figured out I was making $0.06/min.

I remember resenting my Dad at the time because not all my friends had to work that summer. Like I really felt wronged or slighted. Despite these protests, my Dad just said “you will thank me someday”.

Well he was right. He just turned 68 passing on that wisdom & hustle to me over 25 years ago. He retired a couple of years ago after working in those same grocery stores for over 46 years (starting as bagger/stock associate and leaving as executive).

Over the years, I have learned that I don’t mind “working”, and I typically won’t be “outworked”. I have learned the difference between working “hard” and “smarter”, but sometimes there is no replacement for "grinding it out". This have served me well.

The best gifts you can give are gifts of wisdom. They will continue to give throughout time and in my case, through generations, as I put my kids to work in the years come (sorry kids).

You can’t wrap these gifts but they are the most impactful even more impactful than the Jordan 1’s I still rock today.

Thank you Dad!