Dear Fathers, Sons, Daughters, Teachers, Coaches, Mentors and GrandDads:
Happy Father’s Day weekend to all of you! This day can be a joyous one, but also a tough one, depending on your relationship with your kid(s)… or your own dad. It’s a good time for reflection and to seek out more opportunities to positively influence children in today’s world.
I was a lucky one. The relationship between my dad and me was one of the most special and significant of my lifetime.
He was my anchor, who held (and taught) true-north in all of his principles.
He was my inspiration, who gave me encouragement to do what I alone was meant to do.
He was my mentor, who modeled how to be a benevolent and caring employer.
And he was my humor master, teaching me to laugh and play every single day. For Jim Smallegan, keeping a light heart was the key to living a happy life.
My parents divorced when I was four years old, and their ongoing ability to co-parent peacefully and respectfully was a gift to my brother and me. I am certain that I had more dedicated one-on-one time with my dad than I would have otherwise. #Grateful! It’s true that every cloud has silver linings. A few years later, he became a dad to my sweet stepbrother and stepsister as well. He modeled what it looked like to love other kids just like his own.
The cool thing about becoming a Brave Parent at any age or stage in life, is there are always opportunities to come alongside a child and be a mentor or guide. Thanks Dad, for teaching me first hand…. There’s no such thing as other peoples’ children!