‘I remember what my poppa told me’
KINGSTON, Jamaica — When we think of fathers, we oftentimes think of super humans who go above and beyond to make sure their families are provided for and protected.
Indeed, good dads have a heroic aura — whether its from punching the clock outside of normal hours to send their children to school; being head bodyguard to their daughters or acting as role models for the man their sons aspire to become.
OBSERVER ONLINE is wishing all fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, uncles, godfathers and other father figures a Happy Fathers’ Day this year.
Here are some of the greatest lessons a few readers have learnt from their fathers.
1. Education is key.
Growing up my dad (Rudolph Daley) has always been a major advocate for education. He would often tell me and my siblings about his days of missing school to work with his mom who had become a single mother due to the unfortunate death of his dad. He would always look on with hurt in his eyes as he recounted the day he was given a machete at 14 and told he would now have to work. My dad would always say if he was given the opportunity to continue with school, he would have done much better in life. So, he always pushed us to never miss a day of school and would constantly remind us of his mantra to: make use of every opportunity because it comes but once, which I believe is the greatest lesson my dad has taught me. Happy Father’s Day daddy.
— Rochelle
2. Keep a level head.
“I’d say the greatest lesson my father has taught me is to always keep a level head no matter the situation, whether good or bad. I guess seeing the success he’s had in every line of work he’s been involved in over the years while doing this has really impacted how I operate.”
— Bradley
3. Value yourself.
“I guess I would say that I’m lucky to have a great dad because he raised me as a single dad so I guess he taught me how I should be treated by a guy. He’s also a great cook and he’s tried teaching me but I’m a terrible cook but I can bake and he can’t.”
— Sasha
4. Be goal driven.
“My father is very goal driven. Growing up, I’ve always watched he work hard for everything he has and he always encourages me to do the same. He will explain what I need to accomplish what I want and he will go the extra mile and push out the effort and energy to assist me in accomplishing my goals.”
— Demarco
5. Be self-sufficient.
“My father was very hands-on and handy around the house. He was very good at building things and putting things together from scratch and by observation and assisting him I learnt how to build things too. So, I grew to love DIY (do it yourself) projects and to be independent and as a woman, I value that.”
— Nicole
6. Don’t waste opportunities and work hard.
“My dad has always been my number one supporter, cheering me on through all my endeavours. Over the years of experiencing him grow as a father who lost his dad at a very young age, a sole trader and a husband, I have witnessed him rise above many challenges. Two of the greatest lessons I have learnt from my dad is to make great use of first opportunities as he always tells his children he didn’t get the opportunities we have now so we shouldn’t waste our time. Also, to always work hard for what you want.”
— Roxanne
7. Don’t lend what you’re unwilling to lose.
“Don’t lend what you are not willing to lose, whether that be money or any valuable object. My dad has really taught me a lot over the years but one of the most important lessons or one of the lessons that really stuck out to me the most is this particular one because I always complain about people borrowing things from me and not giving it back to me and because of that it has caused me to really stop and think about how important it is that I think about whether I’m going to give something to someone before I actually do so and it makes me ask myself questions such as ‘how valuable is this item to me? Is it something I’m willing to lose?’ If it’s not something I’m willing to lose then I cannot give it. I think it teaches me how to say no because as a person I’m always used to saying yes to people and not think about the consequences even though I don’t want to say yes, sometimes I say yes because I don’t want to be viewed as mean so this really helps me in making better decisions.”
— Tiffany
8. Communication is important.
“Simply communication to me, his child, and time spent together. That’s something I would want to improve in my own life. I think we leave most of that (good communication) as a mother thing. He did a lot of things that I find to be his great qualities such as cooking and how he took care of his father but at times I don’t think I really have much to say so that’s what I’d like to improve.”
— Richard