Category Archives: Life lessons

Dad’s Shrimp Tempura

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“Self-reliance is the only road to true freedom, and being one’s own person is its ultimate reward.”

—Patricia Sampson

Today’s post is from Karen Austin.

The month before he turned 13, my dad became the man of the house. In February of 1951, his father died during gallbladder surgery.

Dad's shrimp tempura

Dad’s shrimp tempura

As the oldest of three boys, he assumed a lot of responsibility. He worked after school at the family jewelry store. He often made dinner while his mother worked late doing bookkeeping for the store. He joined the military to pay for college.

Because of the way he grew up, Dad learned to be self-reliant. To do things for himself. To be responsible for his own well being, happiness and success in life.

This example by Dad formed the foundation for how I now live. It’s the best lesson I learned from him. READ MORE 

Fifty-Dollar Dad

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“Live as if tomorrow is your last and you will never regret the yesterdays passed.”

—Brian “Trigs” Hague

Today’s story is about Phil, the fifty-dollar dad.

Jack is an enterprising young lad. The youngest of four boys. Definitely driven.

fifty-dollar dad

He’s been working extra chores for two weeks. Saving up. Just a few bucks more. Rationing his snack money. Selling old baseball cards. Whatever he can.

50 dollars. A dream to most 8 year olds, but not to this little man. Jack saves while his brothers spend. He works while they watch TV. $4. $9. $17. $29. $44. $49. And then, he is there. Fifty bucks in his hand. Jack has a plan. READ MORE 

Small Potatoes

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“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear you speak.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Today’s story is from Art Ernst.

During the Great Depression of the middle 1930s, my dad and his brother, Roy, decided to trade a bushel of my Uncle Roy’s potatoes for a bushel of Dad’s apples when they ripened.

Bushel of potatoes

Small potatoes

After visiting Uncle Roy and Aunt Edith one Sunday, as we started to leave for home, Uncle Roy said “Oh, by the way, I have your bushel of potatoes ready.”

Our car had no trunk so Uncle Roy placed them next to me on the back seat. I observed how clean and large were those potatoes. But, upon removing them from that bushel basket, we found smaller ones in the middle. When we got to the bottom, there was several inches of dirty, dinky little misshapen potatoes. READ MORE 

Daisies & Dads

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“Some people don’t believe in heroes. They haven’t met my dad.”

—Anonymous

My dad? Quite simply the best. He can do anything. Build anything. Be anything.

daisies and pearls

Doggy/Daddy dates

My friends all had the same generic Barbie dollhouse. My dad built a custom, three-story doll mansion for me.

My friends had pretty lunchboxes. Dad painstakingly hand-painted custom lunch bags with pretty murals and colorful characters for me.

All the furniture in our house… bought in a store? Nope. Handmade, by Dad, perfectly styled for the 70’s decor. READ MORE 

Guns N’ Roses N’ Dad

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“I mean we all need a second chance sometimes.”

—Joel Osteen

Story contributed by Andrew Loos.

Every kid should have the good fortune of throwing an awesome high school party his friends will talk about for years. In Kansas, where I grew up among a group of fervent teenage metalheads, it was a God-given right.

highschool years

Andrew and his dad Doug circa 1992

So naturally when Guns N’ Roses and Metallica announced they would be making a stop in my hometown on their world tour, I seized the opportunity to plan such a shindig before we all departed for the concert. Like so many tragically missed opportunities in our young lives, this concert-of-a-lifetime happened to be taking place on a school day. But we weren’t going to let that stop us.

Mom was out of town with my brother at tennis camp and Dad, out of town on business. In hindsight, it almost seemed too perfect. So at 9:30 a.m. that day, we gathered at my empty house to get the festivities started. READ MORE 

What My Father Taught Me About Being An Entrepreneur

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“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”

Author Unknown

Story contributed by Brad Handler*

Brad Handler entrepreneur

Brad Handler

My younger brother, Brent, and I are fifteen months apart. We grew up with a father obsessed with business and real estate. Any time we passed a lot for sale my dad would take his eyes off the road and wonder aloud if the parcel was a good buy. My mom had to remind him every time he had my brother or me in the car, to pay attention and not let his eyes wander. He was constantly looking for the next “big deal” in Denver’s real estate market.

Other kids would play catch with their dad but not us. The only competitive sport in our house was Monopoly. My dad, brother and I would spend long weekends in marathon games at the kitchen table. Dad would coach each of us on how to best build an empire. He’d then go off to work on Monday morning and build his. READ MORE 

My Dad’s Name was Mom

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“It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.”

—The Golden Girls

Today’s story is from Brandon Steiner.

Brandon Steiner's book

Brandon Steiner’s book

“You Gotta’ Have Balls” is Brandon Steiner’s inspiring book about how he grew up as a dirt-poor Jewish boy with no dad and no money. He and his mom got by on welfare stamps.

Things worked out. Today, his Steiner Sports is a multi-million dollar international brand, the heaviest hitter in the sports memorabilia world. Brandon is also a big-hearted guy and a valued, “What can I do for you?” personal friend.

How did he do it? “My mom,” Brandon proudly tells Savvy Dad.

Brandon Steiner's mom

Brandon’s mom Evelyn Steiner

“I had no dad. We had no money. But Mom took no excuses. She was forced to wear the ‘dad hat,’ and she wore it well. Mom would say, “I’m your mom and your dad too, so whatever I say goes double!”

We asked Brandon to share the most valuable lessons he learned from this remarkable woman, who served as both mom and dad. He asked that we share three, and you don’t mess with kids from Brooklyn, so here they are: READ MORE