Category Archives: Life lessons

Burnt Biscuit

“A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others. Be a carrier.”

—Tom Stoppard

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Today’s story is from Art Ernst.

Art Ernst

Most Savvy Dad stories are special. Some are what we call 10+. That means as good as they get. On that scale, this is an 11.

We found this story floating around the Internet in different forms, “author unknown”. A bit of detective work by our own Chris Neck turned up the original author, original story and some very cool background.

Heat up your coffee. Pour some more tea. Savor this moment. You’re in for a treat.

We’ll start with the email Chris received from the now 85-year old author. Then, in its original form, enjoy one of most touching dad stories (and best life lessons) you’ll ever read. READ MORE

Man of Few Words

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“Love is shown in your deeds, not in your words.”

—Fr. Jerome Cummings

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Today’s story is from Mark Victor Hansen.

As co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, I’ve had ample opportunity to write about my father. Oddly enough, though, I never have. I guess that makes me a man of few words, at least in this respect.

My name is Mark Victor Hansen. This is my story untold — a look back at my dad, and how I came to know him 20 years after he passed.

“Men of few words are the best men.” —Shakespeare

Mark and his dad, ready to ride.

He was a Danish immigrant. No academics. Broken English.

A man of few words. That was my dad. He worked as a baker through the Depression, earning pennies a day. He survived on leftover bread. Tireless work ethic. Simple principles. Just survive each day.

I was born in ’48. My three younger brothers soon followed. “The four boys,” he often said.

Throughout my childhood, Dad was consistent, stoic, as well. He never waivered, and seemed immune to self-doubt. While deeply caring as a man and a dad, he seemed unable to communicate how he felt. He would order the “what” without explaining the “why”. READ MORE

Failure … High Five From Dad!

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

—Thomas A. Edison

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Today’s story is about Sara Blakely.

Every night at dinner Sara’s dad asked, “What did you fail at today?” Sara would excitedly report back, “Dad, I tried out for this sport today and I was horrible!” Or that she auditioned for a play—and was wonderfully bad!

Dad’s response? “Way to go!” A high five came next.

Sara Blakely at the 2012 Time 100 Gala
Photo: David Shankbone

Sara Blakely’s nightly failure reports, and celebratory high fives, ended up shaping her life. It was a lesson from Dad that paid off big! This 42-year-old entrepreneur recently graced the cover of the Forbes billionaire issue. (The youngest self-made female billionaire to do so).

Sara is the founder/inventor of Spanx — special slimming, no panty-line underwear. Thousands of women around the world swear by them. Reality star Kim Kardashian wears Spanx. Jennifer Lopez does too. Over 10,000 retail locations carry the product.

There are over 200 types of the body-shaping garments, even Spanx designed for pregnant women. Spanx swimwear. Yes, even Spanx for dudes, too. READ MORE

Father Time

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“Are you fighting with your father, or losing time with your dad? Father time.”

—Brian “Trigs” Hague

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by Brian “Trigs” Hague

I never really knew my grandfather, Chubby. I was too young to remember what he was like. I wish I could remember the day I met him for the first time. From what I’ve been told, it changed my dad’s life.

Brian, Chubby, and Jason, taken on the day dad and Chubby reunited. Chubby still looking a little “shook up.”

Dad returned to Cincinnati after law school to work for Chubby’s real estate firm. They quarreled occasionally, as fathers and sons do, especially in a family business. Dad told me later he realized it was mostly his fault. He was school educated, so he presumed he was also business smart.

My dad and my granddad disagreed on how to run the business, a lot. One fight went too far. Horrible things were said. A standoff ensued. My dad worked in a second floor office. Chubby’s office was downstairs. They didn’t speak for six months.

My mom was pregnant with me at the time. I was born May 24, 1978. Almost twelve pounds. Mom had a cesarean section, and needed a few days in the hospital to recover. Dad was overjoyed. His first-born son. READ MORE

Shifting for Life

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”

— Alan Lakein

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Today’s story is from Stan Snyder.

My father taught me to drive a stick shift

Stan driving an ambulance

A typical day in the life of a teenage me. Dad and I doing battle. His goal? Make me miserable.

“You will learn to drive a stick,” Dad emphatically said. “You’ll learn, or you won’t drive at all.”

“What’s the point?” I protested. “I’m buying an automatic.”

(I’d saved up for years. A few blocks away sat a perfectly decent automatic sedan. My aunt had promised it to me once I’d saved up the money. Dad knew that.)

But my father wouldn’t let up… READ MORE

Beauty & the Beast

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Today’s story is from Pat McMahon.

I’m sure you know the story of “Beauty and the Beast.” But what you probably don’t know is… I’m their son.

No, I don’t mean the couple in the children’s story. But, it would have been perfectly appropriate to call my parents Beauty and the Beast because that’s the way they talked about themselves.

Pat teaching his dad Jack a thing or two, age 5.

You see, before my father and mother met and went into the entertainment business, my dad was a prizefighter — a professional boxer with over 90 fights. Back in those days, they didn’t check personal information very carefully, so he was able to get into the fight game when he was 14 years old.

He had a pretty impressive record too, but it was at the expense of his face — layers of scar tissue that built up on his brow, a nose broken so many times it spread in multiple directions. How he ever heard anything through the tiny pinholes of his “Cauliflower” ears is a wonder.

And then there was my mom, The Beauty. She was the essence of the song “Tiny Dancer.” Mom was a petite ballerina, a tap dancer, a skilled acrobat. READ MORE

Six Lessons I Learned From My Dad

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.”

—Vernon Law

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Today’s story is from Josh Linkner.

Three generations: Josh (red shirt), his dad, and his son Noah (who will be 16 next month).

Robert Linkner was one strange dude. He forged his own path as he journeyed from hippie to psychologist to retailer to financial planner. He had a hilarious, dark sense of humor, was an incredible chef and had a series of oddball hobbies. He took pride that his tastes in music, travel, food, and life were always a bit different than the average Joe. His life ended far too early when we lost him to cancer in 2007.

It’s natural to miss your dad on Father’s Day, but this year I began to reflect on the lessons he taught me. Sometimes mysterious in his ways, I now realize he was quite deliberate as he instilled his philosophies in my sister, brother, and me. His wisdom has shaped who I am today, and there’s much to learn from his irreverent, non-traditional approach. READ MORE

A Father’s Blog, Best Gifts for Dads, Author Greg Hague Shares Life Lessons for Father & Sons.

Savvy Dad, Greg Hague