17/06/2026
Dad & me photo competition entry - Gabriël Jewellers • Watches.
Attached is a picture of me and my son as I do not have a picture of my dad and me.
My father has taught me many important things about life, about love, and about parenting. The one I am sharing now is something that stands out. It’s a wisdom I have separated from the rest. Because of how my understanding of this lesson has changed over the years. During one of our many teenager/parent conflicts, my father told me something that stuck with me. For the next twenty five years. We were in disagreement and I was planning to do something he didn’t approve of at school. He didn’t agree with my choice. But even in disagreement, this was his response:
“I may not always agree with what you have to say, but I will always fight for your right to say it.”
And he did. Always. My father didn’t seek to ever get me out of something I had landed myself in, or fight my battles for me. But he did help ensure I had a voice to speak for myself. Since becoming a parent that lesson my father taught me has changed. What I didn’t know at the time was how this statement would impact my sense of well-being.
My father thought me to be helpful and always help the people most in need and he said life is short, nothing matters as much as how you treat people who needs your help.
He used to say when I was born, I cried when the world rejoiced, so I must live my life in such a way that when I die the world cries while I rejoice. So the best lesson I’ve learned from my father is not only by what he said but how he lived. Because leading by example is the number one way to shape other people’s behaviour.
