When I was in college, my Dad would send me a handwritten note every so often. This was just before email 
came into being, and he wouldn’t have used that anyway. Most often there would be a few dollars enclosed and the note would encourage me to take a break and treat myself to a coffee and pastry at the student coffeehouse.
The note usually came with the same basic instructions: “Eat. Sleep. Study. Brush your teeth.” (Yes, Dad paid for several years of orthodontic work on me.)
In a sense, Dad was telling me, through that note: “Take care of yourself. Take care of what’s important. Enjoy learning. Enjoy life.”
Here are a few more “Dad-isms” that have stuck with me:
“To each his own.” (Love and tolerate others, even when they are different from you.)
“You pays your money and you takes your chances.” (Life is not certain. There are no guarantees. We all take risks and we must live with the consequences.)
“Go outside and get the stink blowed off ya.” (Enjoy nature. Be active.)
I love my dad and appreciate the wonderful example he was (and is) more and more the older I get.
What are some Dad-isms your father instilled in you? Feel free to share a comment, and Happy Father’s Day to all Dads out there!
My late Dad always told me (and my 3 siblings as well) to: ALWAYS pay your credit card bill IN FULL every month by its due date!
Today is my late Father’s birthday and he would be 80 yrs. old. Today is also my youngest sister’s birthday too. We plan on taking a trip to visit him in Hollywood today. Hollywood Cemetery that is.
My Dad-ism is: Love them dearly while they’re here and Miss them much when they are gone.
Pop-up behind third base is the short stop’s ball!
My letters alway ended with “I was going to enclose money but the envelope was already sealed.”
If you’re gonna be dumb you gotta be tough!
“If you can’t fix it with a hammer, get a bigger hammer.”
“Why wasn’t I born rich instead of good-looking?”
“If it’s free, take one.”
“I have a good memory, it’s just short.”
My father also used the “Go out and get the stink blown off you” line. But there was also “Come in when the street lights come on.”
Measure twice and cut once.
“Check your oil!”