Happy Father’s Day 2022

My father passed away more than seven years ago and his influence on my life is still with me. When I was a child, my father was very busy working in his store.

My dad had a difficult childhood, as most people born in Eastern Europe had in the early 1920s.

As a parent living in the USA, he had a strong work ethic and an orderly life. He always had a small notepad and pen in his shirt pocket. I always thought that it was because he had a great sense of responsibility to his family and customers. His personal values of giving to the less fortunate amounted to taking a portion of his earnings and setting it aside for others. Wherever we lived, my parents became volunteers and active members of the community.

There were times, when schoolwork was not overwhelming for me, that I got to be at his decorating store and help him write checks or organize his samples. His customers loved him for his smile and respectful disposition.

Surely my father made a few mistakes as a parent while trying to get his footing. Once you are a parent yourself, you learn that there is no instruction book. Parents are forever responding to variables in a child’s life.

As an older adult, I really got to know my father and respect his knowledge. It felt like I lit up his world when I came to visit.

My most precious moments with my father were our alone time with no devices, in his store, or at breakfast before school. I also remember when he was in his 90s wheeling him around the community and talking about business and my children, both of which, are forever on my mind.

I have carried this photo these past years. You can see by the paper quality it is all bent, but I love it and won’t give it up, just as I will hold the memories of him near and dear to my heart.

My dad was slower as he aged but still sharp with profound advice until his last two weeks at the age of 93. The best part was he could see the big business picture. He didn’t need to know the Internet, but he really understood GrantWatch.

My advice to all is to find that 30 minutes a day to zone in on your parent or to zone in on your child – no devices and really listen and make them feel that they matter and that they count and that you treasure those minutes.

All my best for a Happy Father’s Day.