Happy Father's Day! Five Lessons My Dad Never Lets Me Forget

Lesson One: Hard work pays off.

My dad is the youngest of seven and had to work for everything he had from a very young age. Though his story has had its difficult moments, he knew that in order to survive, he had to help his family maintain their farm in the Philippines by going to the mountains to collect firewood when he was around 7-8 years old and helping out any way he could. One particular story that comes to mind is about the runt pig. My dad took the runt of the litter and made it his mission to raise it when everyone else figured it was useless and would have left it to die or fend for itself. He tended to this little runt and raised him to be the largest of his litter, which allowed my dad to sell him for a decent amount of money to help sustain his family with money for food. He always reminds me to put in time and energy into work, just as he did raising the runt.

Lesson Two: Don't live outside your means.

One of my dad's favorite quotes from Forrest Gump is, " Now, Momma said there's only so much fortune a man really needs and the rest is just for showing off." We're not Jewish, but when it comes to frugality, my dad can roll with the best of them. He appreciates the finer things in life and splurges every once in a while, but only if he knows he can afford it. He always stresses the importance of living within one's means--pay the bills before spending money on yourself.

Lesson Three: Take care of your car: always check your tires, never run out of gas, put up the parking brake, and don't forget to change the oil.

When I visited home from Austin for the weekend, my dad would always remind me to check my tires and see if I had enough gas before I left. He also told me he never wanted to be on the other end of the line to hear that I was on the side of the road with an empty tank, because "if you have enough money to go out to dinner or the movies, you've enough to fill up the tank!" I learned to put the emergency brake up, regardless of the incline, and my sister and I do this automatically to this day. Car ownership is a like having a pet; it needs a lot of care and attention and it will take care of you in the long run.

Lesson Four: See the world.

My parents met abroad while they were both working in Abu Dhabi. Both of them had the opportunity to make money overseas when they were young, so they left their hometowns and families to start their own lives. They married in Germany and honeymooned across Europe. Then they decided to move from the Philippines to start a new life in America. Both of my parents are living examples of how traveling the world, exposing yourself to new cultures, and getting outside of your comfort zone can bring opportunities and fresh perspectives that you would have had beforehand. During the summer after my second year of teaching, I decided to treat myself to a trip to Europe, Paris and London for two weeks, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I boarded a 9-hr flight to Paris with my best friend and we took in the city, then took the train across the English Channel to be temporary Londoners. I'll never forget that summer, and my world view transformed in that trip alone. Traveling is one of my favorite pastimes--I work to save up money for my next vacay! You don't have to travel far to reap the rewards, just exposing yourself to new experiences is gratifying.

Lesson Five: Always say thank you and I love you--and mean it!

It's probably a cultural thing, but I notice people don't say these things with authenticity or some times at all. My parents raised me to be very gracious and always remember the people who helped you get to where you are today, never forgetting to thank them and express your appreciation. Because without them, you wouldn't have been able to achieve your goals and continue to strive for bigger and better. It's always nice to shout out to your support system, the people who have your back-- just so they know you'll be there for them, too.

So today make sure to let your dad know just how much you love and appreciate everything he's done to help you be the who you are today.

Hope you and your loved ones have a Happy Father's Day!