In my eyes, my dad is the best man in the world. He is the first man in my life and will always be the man I love the most. Just like almost every other Chinese Dad, he also has that stoic face façade that he usually portrays. But deep down, I know that he loves and cares for me in a different way which is through proper discipline and doing different bonding activities such as holding the tools for him while he fixes different furnitures in the house. As a kid, (just like how every other kid sees their dad in their childhood) I see my dad as a hero. I’ve always thought that he was the tallest and strongest man in the world. Although reality has already set in, I still believe that he is one of the most incredible people I have ever known. Even if my dad is not perfect, he always gives his best when it comes to raising me to become the person that I am today. And to me, that is all that matters. Since it’s Father’s Day, I want to talk about my dad and all the important life lessons he has taught me and my siblings that shaped us into who we are today. Here are 7 lessons that Chinese Dads always teaches:
1) Keep your feet on the ground
No matter how much you’ve achieved, you must always keep your feet on the ground. No matter how much you’ve learned, always remember there are more things that are still yet to be learned. Keeping your feet on the ground will enable you to walk more journeys that will lead you to gain more knowledge and learn more experiences.
2) Keep a level head and avoid acting impulsively
Especially when you’re about to make important decisions in life, always remember to stay calm and avoid acting on impulse. My dad was the type of person to think about everything thoroughly before making a decision. He tells us that all things have both good and bad consequences so we must keep a level head and decide on the least bad consequence that a decision can give. Aside from that, he also taught me that words cut deeper than knives. He taught me that my words matter, and that I should only say things that I mean. He also reminds me that I must always remember to keep a level head even when I’m frustrated in order to avoid acting impulsively and saying unnecessary things that may hurt other people.
3) You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be at your best
My dad taught me that I don’t have to be the best in school or to be the best in the activities that I do for him to be proud of me. As long as I am being the best version of myself, then that is enough because effort is always better than the result and we cannot always expect to be the best at something we do. He is supportive of the things I do, teaches me new things everyday, and always pushes me to do my best.
4) What goes around, comes back around
Most people would refer to this as “Karma”. In the dictionary, “Karma” is referred to as the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. We have even often heard the saying, “Karma has no menu, you get served what you deserve.” Whether a person believes in karma or not, we all know that when we treat people with kindness and respect, it usually comes back to us in a positive way since people are naturally kind to others that are kind to them. The same way goes when you treat people in a not-so-kind way. That’s why my dad always reminds me to stay positive, speak kind words, think good thoughts, and do good deeds, not for the sake of showing off to people but because it comes from within.
5) Never stop learning even if you have to learn it in a hard way
We all know that if a mom’s job is to care for us, a dad’s job is to let us learn. I remember when I was 10 years old and my mom didn’t want to let me ride a bike because I might get injured from trying. However, my dad had a different perspective and would still teach me how to bike. I did get a lot of scrapes and bruises on my knees from falling out of balance but soon I got to learn the hang of it. A dad will always want to let us learn even if it means we learn it in a hard way.
6) Be thrifty in a reasonable way
Just like almost every other Chinese dad, he is also thrifty in a reasonable way and teaches us to learn the value of money in order to spend them wisely. He teaches us that we must become financially responsible in order to lead a less stressful life in the future. When done correctly, being thrifty is a great training ground for children because it teaches us to save money and learn to value as well as appreciate the things we have. You would even often hear Chinese dads saying not to spend money on unnecessary things. This is also the reason why most Chinese dads lets their children work in a very young age. One of the things I’m grateful for was when he taught me how to write a check at the age of just 9 years old.
7) Seize opportunities that may come your way
Success is not always attained, even with hard work. This is why my dad reminds me to grab every opportunity that may come my way. Some opportunities may come just once in a lifetime so it is important to step out of my comfort zone to find and obtain opportunities.
There you have it! Seven lessons learned from almost every Chinese dad! Even if there are times when we feel like our dad is giving us a hard time, they all just want the same thing and that is for their children to learn and be independent. Happy Father’s Day to all dads out there! We want to thank you for all your efforts and let you know that you are and will always be appreciated.
