Today marks 80 years that my Dad has been on this here earth. That is a good long time, especially considering I grew up hearing my Dad say, “Every day over 50 is gravy.” This was a considered remark, as my Dad believed that by age 50, most folks had raised and educated their kids. Everything on top of that is gravy, icing on the cake, whatever other food metaphor you want to use to convey the idea of a bonus.
My Dad, to this day, is one of my anchors. I seek his advice, his opinions, his take on things that trouble me or need a sounding board. Now that he is 80, I know that I won’t have access to his wisdom and insights for much longer. But as my Dad would say, 30 years of gravy is a heck (he would never say hell in front of me, as he doesn’t believe men should swear in front of women or children, or that women should swear, well, ever) of a lot of gravy.
Happy birthday, Dad! I love you like few others.
In honor of my Dad’s 80 rotations around the sun, I encouraged the fine folks on my Facebook page to share words of wisdom from their own dads, and these little nuggets, kind readers, are what you submitted. A couple of things jump out at me: 1) lots of dads swore way more than my own; and 2) a dad’s advice is often harsh, plain, and cuts right to the core. Nothing wrong with that.
Hey! If you want more of this here blog, you gots to subscribe. Your dad would want you to! Here’s how:
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Mary Tyler Mom 