100 Things I Learned From My Dad

I don't or can't necessarily DO all these, but they are things I learned from the first greatest man in my life.

1. Work hard.
2. Rest when your knees hurt.
3. Say Thank You.
4. Take care of your family.
5. Love God.
6. Ask for help.
7. Pray.
8. Animals deserve our compassion.
9. Serve your wife.
10. Make gifts for your loved ones with your own hands.
11. Be on time.
12. Say “I love you” often.
13. Pay your bills.
14. Don’t eat too much.
15. Discipline your children.
16. Use the same old, used up line because it makes you laugh.
17. Watch “Mash.”
18. Study the map before you get there.
19. Eat ice cream and cookies.
20. Encourage others to eat ice cream and cookies.
21. Tithe.
22. Respect your elders.
23. Plan for the future, but don’t let it worry you.
24. Help your kids with the daunting task of moving.
25. Listen to one another at the dinner table.
26. Go camping.
27. Go fishing, even if you can’t eat the stuff.
28. Give generously and with no strings.
29. Pepperoni pizza is the best.
30. Watch the news, but don’t believe everything you hear.
31. Make up nicknames for children.
32. Eat the green beans, even if you don’t like them.
33. A lot of pain right now is better than a little pain over a long time.
34. No one is above the law.
35. Don’t be so self-conscious. No one’s thinking about you as much as you are.
36. Buy your wife the car she loves, except if it’s literally a Sherman tank.
37. Drink coffee every morning.
38. Pancakes for dinner is fun.
39. Bacon and eggs every morning for a week is fun too.
40. Mow the lawn.
41. Clear snow from the driveway.
42. Get the mail.
43. Don’t waste unused stamps.
44. Vote.
45. You can’t have too many hammers, magnets, flashlights, or ice cream buckets.
46. See your doctor if your wife insists.
47. Get up early.
48. You only need two sets of sheets.
49. If the soles of your slippers blow out, use duct tape.
50. Make letter openers and marshmallow sticks out of car antennas.
51. Pass out gobs of pens with your name on them.
52. Clean under your nails with a pocket knife.
53. Stay sweet when you’re old.
54. Use super glue as a liquid bandage.
55. Appreciate Christmas carolers.
56. Keep emergency cash in your glove box.
57. Honor this country.
58. Silence can be golden.
59. Actions speak louder than words.
60. Buy your daughter a horse when she cries herself to sleep for want of one.
61. Err on the side of compliance when you’re not sure you’re right.
62. Have picnics with your pardnur and his mom in the back of your pickup at work.
63. Keep several pairs of gloves in at least two places.
64. Get around stupid city laws as often as you can.
65. A toothpick can be used as a tiny shim.
66. Do the upright thing, even if it costs you.
67. Record your children's voices when they're little.
68. Bag balm cures skin cancer.
69. Passing the phone to your wife when your daughter is crying is a good idea.
70. Coffee and root beer are the only liquids you need to drink.
71. When you retire, be prepared to be busier than ever.
72. Stick to your guns, even if he’s wearing a badge.
73. Tell your daughter often how beautiful she is.
74. Brag on your sons in front of them.
75. Have your mother-in-law live with you if that’s what your wife desperately wants.
76. Send your female loved ones home with a freshly cut rose.
77. Press cider with your family.
78. When you make a mistake, don’t make excuses.
79. Send care packages.
80. Laugh at yourself.
81. Know your strengths.
82. Work on  your weaknesses.
83. Cheese is a food group.
84. Fly the American flag.
85. Forgive, and don’t bring it up again.
86. Carry a hanky and an extra one for someone else.
87. Save your coins, then give them away.
88. Manners are about respect.
89. If you make a mess, clean it up.
90. Tend a garden.
91. Send Christmas and birthday cards.
92. Make a list of all the most important phone numbers.
93. Stay up on technology.
94. Keep up the maintenance on your cars.
95. Make your words mean something.
96. Don't go on about yourself.
97. Allow your wife her piles and just keep your own space orderly.
98. Be a good steward.
99. Most things can be fixed before they have to be thrown out, including people.
100. Listen to a good preacher on the radio if you can’t make it to church. 

Some of these are cliches, but cliches stick around because of their truth. Many are specific to him, and the blend of both make this a personal and meaningful tribute to him in my heart and life.

There is only one thing on this list I learned to do because Dad did not, and that's to ask for help. His generation is one of privacy and independence. It was Mom who would call us to explain the problem or project Dad was working on all by himself, which usually ended up taking two or more of us to help him complete. He was always so thankful.

My dad was a good man. I will miss him everyday for the rest of my life. My gratitude for him being my father goes magma deep. I will always treasure that the last conversation I ever had with him was our regular greeting and benediction:

Dad:  I love you much.

Me:  I love you mucher.