5 Healthy Life Lessons I Learned from My Dad

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and father figures out there! I enjoyed writing my Mother’s Day post so much, I had to do the same for my amazing dad. I talked to him this morning, and in typical fashion, he’s spending the day fixing stuff around the house (gotta love dads for that!!).

My dad is simply the best. Smart, successful, fun—and seeing as he made it through my teenage years without killing me, I think it’s safe to say he has the patience of a saint when it comes to those he loves. One time in high school he actually put a motion detector at the bottom of our stairs to prevent me from sneaking out of the house LOL.

In addition to teaching me how to keep teenagers in the house between the hours of 9PM – 6AM, I’ve learned a ton from my dad: how to shuck an oyster, jump a car engine, start a fire, ride a bike, snowboard, make the perfect whiskey cocktail–the list goes on. Here are five of the many life lessons he’s taught me:

You’re Only as Old as You Feel

In his 30s, my dad picked up snowboarding. In his 40s, he began racing motocross (seriously). In his 50s he’s all about snowmobiling and four-wheeling. He’s a badass and living proof that you’re never too old to pick up a new hobby. Age is just a number, not some sort of limitation.

Work Hard but Don’t Forget to Play Hard, Too

My Dad is the hardest-working man I know, but he also really knows how to enjoy himself. As a Type A nerd, I got the work hard aspect down pat at a young age, but often struggled to balance that out. My dad was always gently encouraging me to have fun and chill out on the schoolwork. The thought of getting anything less than an A would send me into an anxiety attack so one time he actually said he’d pay me $100 to fail a test. I didn’t take him up on the offer, but appreciate his efforts to get me to loosen up (haha).

If You Love Something, Go All Out

When my dad is into something (hunting, wind surfing, snowmobiling, etc.), he goes all out. No hobby is half-assed because if doing something makes him happy he believes it’s worth doing as much as possible. He’s always been super supportive of my interests and encouraging me to pursue them, with this blog as the number one example. When I was debating trying to blog full time, my dad told me that if it makes me happy, it’s worth pursuing. He helped me out financially so that I could make this dream career a reality and I couldn’t possibly be more thankful. He’s the best.

Take Care of Each Other

My dad is the ultimate provider. He takes care of me, my mom, my brother, his parents and siblings, his friends, my friends, everyone. And I’m not necessarily talking money—he provides his time, help, support and love. School projects, assembling furniture, moving, fixing my car—I’ve always had my dad’s help and felt like I had someone taking care of me. It’s so important to lend a helping hand and take care of others, even in some small way, when you can.

Today’s the Day! Every Day Is Worth Celebrating

I think I’m one of those obnoxious peppy morning people until I spend the night at my parents’ house. Oh right—that’s what a morning person is like (ha!). Growing up, my dad would always wake up before everyone else and be ridiculously loud—banging pots and pans around in the kitchen and yelling (to himself) “Today’s the day!” As a moody teenager it drove me crazy. WHY ARE YOU SO HAPPY. WHY IS TODAY THE DAY. WHY ARE YOU SO LOUD. But now I love it. Why not be excited for a new morning? Every day can be the day if you start it with a good attitude. Just maybe keep the noise down on Sunday mornings…

Thanks for always being there for me, Dad–I love you!

What healthy life lessons did you learn from your dad?