Thanks, Dad!
True, he never got me a pony.(Alas!) However, when I consider the countless other things he did, and does, as a father, whether it was introducing me to Anton Chekhov when I was 13–I spent the entire weekend reading his book of plays, not really understanding what I was reading, but knowing, in my gut, how seismic the talent was…–to always making me feel that my dreams were worthwhile, and could be achieved if I was determined enough…well, its obvious that as a daughter, I hit the lottery.
Perhaps the most important lesson my father taught me is that mistakes are normal, mistakes happen, and as long as you have the courage to forgive yourself and crucially LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES, life goes on. The problem comes when your mistakes are never yours, but always belong to other people, and thus you never give yourself the ability to learn and grow.
When I was in my twenties, and success fell into my lap, I took a great deal of his wisdom for granted. As I continue to mature, and had to make my own comeback in my professional life, I see how blessed I am. I’ve had so many clients come to me, who were raised to believe that making a mistake, any mistake, no matter how big or small, is some sort of divine proof that their ideas and ambition are stupid…oy vey. I have a lot of clients who are truly committed to punishing themselves for being human.
I guess the older I get, the smarter my parents become.
Yesterday was #fathersday, and I spent the day with my parents, but it’s never too late to make it plain how grateful I am for my dad’s hard work, sacrifices, courage, and crucially, all his love. Thanks, Dad.
fathers day growing up in NYC how my father inspired me to become an entrepreneur I was promised a pony thanks dad