The best life skill I learned from my Dad was to do whatever it takes to survive, which is particularly important these days. That is, even if it’s not your dream job, you have to do it. Eating, having a place to live, providing for your family, those things all come first and foremost.

Never pick a fight. Walk away from one if you can. If not, make sure you’re the one still standing when it’s over.

Every thought that enters your mind does not have to come out of your mouth. He never *told* me this lesson — he just lived it. LOTS of people could learn this lesson these days.

Here is what I learned from my Dad: If you decide to get married and have children, your spouse and children are the most important things in your life and that you will do anything to ensure they are taken care of and successful in their journey through life. That includes working your butt off at any job you can to pay for their food, housing, and education. You want your children to grow up and support themselves and be aware of the sacrifices it takes a father to make in order to make their life’s wonderful.

Growing up my Dad always taught me to be honest no matter the consequences, to work hard because nothing is free, that family always comes first then everything else. There are so many things my Dad taught me as a child and adult no only through our “talks” but through his actions. My Dad was a gentleman and always treated people with respect and urged me to do the same. My Dad taught me to love and forgive, to be thankful for what I have and to help others if I could. My Dad was the type of person who no one could ever say an unkind word about even if they didnt agree with him. He was an honorable man, a family man, a great human being and if I posess a tenth of the traits he did I will be forever thankful to him. Hug your Dad’s this father’s day, call him on the phone, life is too short and you dont know if it may be the last time you can. I love you Daddy and I miss you greatly. thank you for all you have taught me and all that I will pass on to your grandbabies. Happy Fathers Day.

My dad never treated me with kid/girl gloves. I am the first girl after two boys and he treated me the same and he treated my brothers. If I fell down, I had to get back up on my own no matter how painful. Only question out of his mouth, is there much blood or any bones sticking out. I can repair most anything around the house and yard. I am very active in sports and coach my kids teams. I guess the lesson my father taught me was that boys and girls are equal and should be treated equal. However, my son will be taught to never hit a girl, they hit back harder and meaner than boys.

The best life skill I learned from my dad was to love, accept, communicate with and try to understand all of the many diverse people I will encounter in my life. From the time I was very young he taught me that communication is key to a happy, fulfilling life. Growing up I began to notice that to possess these attributes meant to lead a content and peaceful life and if only the whole world could live this way, we may not have crime, misunderstandings, killing and war. I am often asked by friends to help resolve a conflict between two parties and I never say “no” as I am always confident I can mediate/work out the problem and still have the two parties get along in the end! I believe myself to be the luckiest person on the planet to have gotten the dad I did. As I raise my own children today, I strive to be the parent he was to me and to teach the important life skills I learned from him. Happy Father’s Day dad!!!

My dad taught me: don’t let stupid people get to you, don’t leave knives in the sink, and take good care of your car. But the best life skill I learned from my dad was that the really important things in life are the things that MasterCard can’t buy. He taught me to cherish the victory I earned through hard work, rather than the easy win. He taught me to learn because knowledge was valuable, not just to earn good grades. He taught me the difference between that which is cheap and mass-produced, and a well-made, hand-crafted classic. He taught me to love quality over quantity and to appreciate each moment. He taught me to be careful how you treat others, because you never know when you will be seeing them for the last time. Thank you, Dad, for all the things you taught me, and all the things you never knew I noticed. I can tell you, I was paying attention.

The best life skill my Dad ever taught me is “Lefty-loosey, Righty-tighty.” It works when tightening and loosening bolts and screws, turning the hose on and off, removing and replacing the gas cap - anything that requires turning to open. I find myself saying it to myself and have taught it to my 11-year-old daughter, too. It was something practical I never forgot.

“What goes around, comes around.” I can’t begin to tell you how many times I heard my Dad say this to me after I did something I shouldn’t have. And let me tell you, I always got it back ten fold! It definitely taught me to think about my actions beforehand because karma will get you!