Monday Morning Boost: Why My Dad Is My Hero
Rarely have I read a story illustrating the gentle and persuasive power of our voice to help others.
Mike Ganino, who is a fellow professional speaker, recently shared the power of using his voice to influence someone who mattered most…
His four year old daughter.
On a recent cruise, in a new bed, and after way too much ice cream at dinner, the little girl was not wanting to go to bed.
I’ll let Mike tell you the story…
Opening the door to the cabin, I hear my sweet husband trying to calm our four year old into bed. A new bed on a cruise ship. Way too much ice cream at dinner.
I open the door to her room — and say “I can take over” She’s hovering in the corner of the bed crying, nervous system shot from all the new, and hormones screwed from all the sugar.
And as Phil taps out, and I tap in, I start singing softly. First the Spidey & His Amazing Friends theme song, then “Ariel” — which she calls the “I Want Song” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
“Look at this stuff…” I start. She crawls over and pushes herself into my chest.
The first round of the song she gets the wiggles out — my sensory seeking girl.
The second round she lies next to me having her stuffie (Foxy) reenact the words of “Part Of Your World”
As I start the third round in my softest Papi voice — she whispers the words as she pulls my arm around her. This is the home stretch.
By the time I get to “ready to staaaaaand … and ready to know what the people know.” She’s asleep.
This my friends is the power of our voice. And I couldn’t be a happier Papi knowing mine feels like home and safety and calm to her.
I’m not sure I could recognize my Dad’s voice in a lineup at this point — and I promise every day that she will never know what that’s like.
Mike filled my heart with hope,
immersed my soul in deeper love,
etched my mind with the gift of peace.
And…
He helped me feel a deeper level of eternal gratitude knowing that my own voice of hope, love, and peace helped the drunken and raging father of my childhood survive the scary and depressive darkness of the first 20 years of his sobriety.
Dad’s journey of coping with life without alcohol took all his energy, a lifetime of weekly AA and ARP programs, years of professional counseling, and a forever reliance on the reality of God for him to keep choosing to stay alive.
And it took my voice of hope, love, peace, and forgiveness.
Through it all, I got my best friend back. My children got to know the gentle voice of their grandfather, and the world continues to hear a bit of the story of a broken father and his worn-out shovel.
My dad. My forever hero.
For those who knew my dad, I am occasionally asked, and sometimes criticized, for calling him my hero.
The reality was dad was broken most of his life.
He was a strong and abusive alcoholic while I was growing up. Though he found sobriety after spending a year in jail during my teenage years, without the bottle to cope with life he was quickly devoured by depression. This darkness ruled his life for the next twenty years, to the point he had active plans for ending his life.
This was an incredibly hard time. For many people. Family. Friends. Neighbors. Members of his church.
But mostly for family.
And I haven’t always realized just how hard that struggle may be.
All of this begs the question why my dad is my hero.
The answer is pretty simple.
He kept getting back up.
Sometimes on his own. Often with help. Rarely with hope. At least ata first. Hope seemed non-existent for most of his life. Yet, he kept going. Walking the ditch banks of his fields, moving the life-giving water into the ditch banks and fields of life.
Somewhere on his arduous journey, Dad found his peace, and he helped me find my peace. And my Dad and I found a way to be best friends again.
Dad’s journey of getting back up has been a great example and a huge source of strength on my own journey of getting back up. And his persuasive example continues to be a gentle voice of encouraging hope.
That’s why he’s my hero.
INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP 13 MINUTE ACTION
Take 13 minutes today to share your gentle and persuasive voice of hope with those who matter most.
❤️❤️❤️
I love you, friend!
Have a great Monday! Thanks for letting me share.
Les
p.s. For only the second time in nearly 14 years, you’re receiving the Monday Morning Boost not on Monday. Thanks for your patience.
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