Before I started kindergarten, my parents were divorced. Some kids are always so negative about their parents divorcing, and when I think about it now as an adult, I knew it was the right thing for our family and heres why. My mom was planning to be married to her high school sweetheart during my kindergarten year. She was going to marry the man who taught me all of my life lessons, tackled my downfalls with me and built me back up when I needed it. He was the man who taught me what a father is, and for that, I am forever grateful.
1. Go to school.
The first thing my stepdad would always say is to "go to school." School is important because that is how your future is going to blossom. He didn't want me to make the same mistakes as him by skipping this part because it is such a crucial aspect of life in our society now. The point of getting an education is to prepare a better life for the kids I might be having one day or the family I might be raising one day. The point of getting an education is to broaden my opportunities in this world, find what I enjoy and run like the wind to achieve that goal in my lifetime. Being educated is so extremely important and it always will be.
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2. Work hard
The second thing my stepdad taught me is how to work hard. You're always going to come across people you work with who make you want to quit everything you're doing and leave, but you can't do that. You have to push through and work hard because that is going to help you one day. Working hard makes a name for yourself, which includes being committed to what you're doing. Working hard also helps you gain the financial assistance needed to take care of yourself and your family one day. You work your way up and make a better living for the future. Working hard is also important because it pays off. It pays off knowing you helped someone or multiple people. Maybe it pays off because you know you tried your hardest. Either way, working hard is very important.
3. Have fun
The last thing my stepdad taught me is to have fun. Life comes at us in so many crazy ways, but we should always remember that in spite of all of that, we should be having fun. Go on vacation, play with a friend, learn a hobby you've always wanted to try. At the end of the day, when you've done all the schooling you can and you've worked the hardest you can, just go have fun. Having fun is how you create lifelong memories and lifelong friendships. You learn what you love and what takes your mind off of the stress clouding your mind. You learn how to find your passions and are able to then share that passion with the world one day, or maybe just your family. Having fun makes everything you're doing in life worth it. Having fun is the most important lesson in this lifetime.
When he told me all of this, I was just a little kid. I didn't exactly understand the whole thing, but now that I am older, I do understand. I've experienced all three of these life lessons. I've learned throughout school, how important my education is and how hard my stepdad worked to provide me with the best education I could receive. He taught me how working hard, even through the jobs I hated, would help me provide for myself without their help. It taught me how to stand on my own and not lean on either of my parents so much. He also taught me to have fun. My family has taken great vacations, and we've done some pretty spontaneous things throughout my 19 years of life. We've always found a way to make the having fun aspect of life really stand out. These three things have stuck with me ever since I can remember my stepdad sharing them with me. I remember him saying these three things over and over again. I always think about it when I feel stuck in life, and it motivates me to be a better me, in the end. You know, sometimes family isn't always blood related. Sometimes family consists of the people who care enough to make you a better you, and that is what I learned with my stepfather. He made me a better me, and that is why he is the best father I've ever had the privilege of having.
