My dad passed away one month ago. Today, my daughter also turns six months old.
Even before my dad passed, I was thinking about the kind of "motherly wisdom" I'd want to pass on to Cameron. If nothing else, this last month reminded me how much of that wisdom came from my dad.
He taught me some of my favorite pastimes — puzzles & cheering for our LA sports teams. I'm going to miss mornings at my parents' kitchen table, where we'd sit together with our coffee and puzzles (him with the print newspaper, me with the NYT app). He still had me beat at Sudoku, but I had the edge on crosswords.
He taught me how to take care of others. We called him "Lifeguard Mike" because he was always watching out for the people he loved. Whether it was watching the pool like a hawk when the kids were swimming or helping us navigate life's big decisions, he was the most dependable person I knew.
He taught me about leadership. A few months ago, my dad texted me excited to share that one of his former colleagues had written about him in a book on women in STEM. She credited him with five leadership lessons that helped her in her career: (1) hire the right people, (2) set priorities, (3) remove blockers, (4) give people the tools they need, and (5) get out of the way. I didn't get to see him in work mode very often, but he passed those same lessons on to me, coaching me through tricky moments in my own career (h/t
Nitza B.h/t Nitza B.).
He taught me about balance. At his memorial, one of his friends described him as smart and logical, but also kind and lighthearted. He always remembered to laugh, even when things seemed serious. And together with my mom, he built a successful career while creating a home where family always came first.
I could keep going — there are a million stories I’d love to share about my dad. I’ll just say that I’m the person & professional I am because of him. And I’m going to miss him every day.