Ten “Thank-Yous” Every Father Should Hear – By Todd Patkin, Author

Father’s Day is the perfect time to think about all of the ways in which your dad has impacted your life and give him the gift of heartfelt thanks. It’s incredibly heartwarming and fulfilling to hear directly from your child that he or she thinks you’ve done a good job as a parent.

• Thank you for making time to come to my games, concerts, and awards ceremonies. I know you were under pressure and, so your priorities taught me that family and relationships are always more important than work and outside achievements.
• Thank you for supporting me when I decided I’d rather be in the school band than play basketball. It let me know unequivocally that you love me for who I am.
• Thank you for making me help with yard work and home improvement projects on the weekends. I may not have enjoyed it at the time, but you taught me the value of hard work. Because of you, I take pride in a job well done, no matter how large or small!
• Thank you for teaching me to ride a bike, and especially for encouraging me to get back up and try again when I fell. I learned that persistence and practice pay off, and that the results can be fantastic!
• Thank you for coaching my sports teams. You showed me what good sportsmanship looks like and taught me why it’s important to shake hands after every game, even if we lost! I know how to lose (and win!) with grace because of you, Dad.
• Thank you for disciplining me and telling me why you were disappointed. I certainly didn’t enjoy being punished, but now I have a strong set of core values and a firm sense of right and wrong.
• Thank you for teaching me how to drive and for remaining patient throughout the process. Now I can merge, parallel park, and back like a pro. But I’m still trying to beat your least-number-of-stops-on-the-way-to-the-beach record!
• Thank you for showing me that there’s a difference between being aggressively confrontational and being politely firm. Because of you I stick to my convictions and don’t let others take advantage of me while remaining respectful.
• Thank you for making executive decisions on everything from where to eat dinner to when to leave the neighbors’ holiday party to which movie to watch on family night. Over the years you taught me the value of knowing your mind and acting decisively.
• Thank you for always treating Mom with respect, patience, love, and sometimes a little mischievousness. You taught me how to treat someone you love and what a strong marriage looks like. Now I have a great relationship with my own partner.

BIO

Todd Patkin, author of Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and—Finally—Let the Sunshine In, Twelve Weeks to Finding Happiness: Boot Camp for Building Happier People, and The Sunny Days Secret: A Guide for Finding Happiness (coming 2014), grew up in Needham, Massachusetts. Todd lives with his wonderful wife, Yadira, their amazing son, Josh, and two great dogs, Tucker and Hunter.