As I approach my eighteenth birthday and my first year of college, I’m realizing how much my dad has taught me through his sacrifices and “annoying” lectures during my childhood.
So, thank you, dad, for giving me everything I need as I attempt to survive in the “real world” when I leave the nest in a few weeks. I know how hard it might be to let your only daughter go, but I hope you’re a little more at ease because you prepared me well. This is everything I know - thanks to you.
1. Don’t just go out for the sake of going out.
You don’t have to say yes to every hangout. You’re not going to remember going to that party where you only kind of knew two people as well as you’ll remember the times you spent with your closest friends. After all, you’re going to only have enough time to catch up with a few people when you come home from college during breaks.
2. Know how to drive safely and respectfully.
Don’t intentionally cut people off. You don’t gain anything from that except maybe arriving at your destination five seconds earlier. Your dad didn’t sit in the passenger seat while you drove to Walgreens and back 50 times in one week to practice driving when you had your permit for you to be a rude driver.
3. Boys will never be worth your tears.
There’s always going to be that one boy (or multiple) that was the reason you were sobbing into your dad’s arms late at night. You won’t believe him then, but your dad will tell you it’s stupid to be crying over a boy more than once. He’s right - as usual.
4. *Insert the recipe for your favorite homemade dish here*
Remember the times you and your dad baked a cake together and you watched him use the electric mixer to mix everything together? He would let you mix the dry ingredients together even though you spilled all over the kitchen counter. Now you can bake that cake without his help, and every time you do it, it’ll remind you of the comfort of your childhood.
5. You don’t need others to believe in you as long as you believe in yourself.
Every time you complained and said you didn’t think you could do something because everyone else said you couldn’t, he told you to not listen to them. Of course, that seemed impossible, but once you finally believed in yourself, you saw how much you were able to accomplish. Who cares if your first art teacher said you had no creative potential? As long as you enjoyed it, keep going. You can say, “I told you so,” at your high school’s lead graphic designer later.
6. It’s not embarrassing when your parents hang out with you and your friends.
You say your dad is embarrassing and totally not cool, but when he beats all your friends in Mario Kart and shows them all his cool tech toys, he becomes kind of cool.
7. Study first so you can hang out with friends stress-free.
Every time you said that you studied enough for a test and you had time to go out with friends, he probably knew you were lying. You weren’t completely lying, but you both knew your time would be better spent studying. Be thankful he let you go out even if you got a lower grade than you expected on that test the next day, but learn the lesson for next time. You’ll thank him later when you’re not struggling to get into your dream school or get your dream job because your GPA was good enough.
8. Stay organized and save time.
You grew up seeing how he put Post-Its on his computer with reminders, and now you put Post-Its on your computer too. It’s a habit that you won’t ever get rid of. Having your to-do list somewhere you can see it easily makes sure you get everything done in time without forgetting anything.
9. Pay extra to get warranty on electronics.
No matter how much you insist that you won’t ever drop your phone or spill coffee on your laptop, it might happen. Especially when you’re in school. That $200 for warranty is most definitely not a waste of money when your phone won’t turn on.
10. Lastly, love requires sacrifice, so don’t take it for granted.
Who else would leave work early to go to all your JV volleyball games and pick you up after practice during rush hour? Who else would go with you to your favorite restaurant multiple times a week even if they didn’t see why you loved it so much? Yup. Appreciate it.
