In honor of Father's Day last weekend, here are a few thing my dad taught me!

1. A Little Bit Of Persistence Can Go A Long Way

If I wanted something the answer was hardly ever no. Instead my parents would ask why I wanted it or what I was going to do to earn or achieve my end goal. Through example my dad showed me that possibilities are endless and sometimes all you have to do is ask a couple times to prove you are serious. Once I set my mind to something my dad would support me and validated my decisions even if he wouldn’t have chosen them for me. This in turn taught me about valuing other peoples values even if you disagree with them.

2. It’s Important To Be Right But It’s More Important To Be Kind

My dad is the king of Mr. Right. He likes proving his point and making sure everyone understands it. However, he does it in almost eloquent way where his opinion seems nearly irrefutable and he is willing to listen to your side. Not only is he a good listener when necessary, but he ensures that people are being genuine and kind. If there is one thing he does not put up with it is BS from anyone.

3. Costco On A Saturday Is Doable

Anyone who shops at Costco knows the kind of mad house it can be every Saturday when people stock up for the week. It’s so crowded my mom nearly refuses to go, but if there is one thing I miss about living at home, it’s the weekly Costco trips with my dad. My mom would write the list and we would do the shopping. It didn’t matter what was happening we rarely missed going and it was just our thing. Sometimes we would get lunch or run other errands but more importantly it was our time and it didn’t matter how busy the store was, we somehow always made it fun.

4. Sometimes “Agreeing to Disagree” Is The Best Solution

Growing up with three siblings meant there were going to be differing opinions on some matters. Which also meant there was always something to argue about with someone. Put those things together and it makes for some heated discussions, but as I got older I learned that both parties can be right and in the end it’s an opinion so if it is going to hurt the other person’s feelings it is better to call it a draw.

5. If You Don’t Know Something, Learn About It

As unbelievable as it may sound, my dad is completely self taught and successful. The classroom just wasn’t for him, but that didn’t mean he was uncommitted to learning he just went about it in a slightly unorthodox manner. From his example I have grown a love for reading and furthering my knowledge about a variety of things not just what my college major requires. Whenever I don’t know something I research it and find out more instead of accepting the lack of understanding. Granted I have a lot of random, slightly useless knowledge because of this but I believe this also comes with being a McFarland.

I will be forever grateful for these lessons and the many others I have learned from my dad, Happy Father’s Day!