The Eanes Family: June 2011

My dad passed away in 2004. I wrote this sometime in the months after that, but I'm not exactly sure when. I don't think I've ever posted it or shown it to anybody....I guess it never quite seemed finished or I wanted to add some more to it. I think it's finally time to post.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. How I wish you had been able to meet Katelyn and Kayla. They would absolutely adore you. I can only hope I can be half the dad you were.

Here's the list, unedited from what I wrote back in 2004 or 2005:

It doesn't matter what other people think.
Family is always first.
There are few things that cannot be fixed with duct tape.
If you use a coupon to buy something that you wouldn't have otherwise bought, you aren't really saving any money.
Part of being a man is doing things that you don't want to do.
Always turn off the electricity to an outlet or switch before messing with it.
Vacations are a time for splurging.
Helping people is a more important part of a business than making money.
A ten year old used car will get you from place to place just as well as a new Lexus.
If there is any possible way you or someone you know will use enough to justify it, buy it in bulk at Sam's.
You can never have too many VCRs.
No restaurant in the world is worth waiting an hour for a table.
You can save a lot of pointless trips to the bank by just taking out a bunch of cash at once instead of going to the ATM every couple of days.
Never underestimate the impact that your life can have on others.
Letting go at the top of a hill is a very effective way to teach a child to ride a bike.
There's no need to be scared of ladders or roofs. The worst that could happen is that you fall off.
It is impossible to save enough pennies to fill up a gallon milk carton when your children are constantly borrowing from it to buy gum.
It is ridiculous to get frustrated and impatient over a website taking a few seconds to load, when not too long ago, computers didn't even exist.
Some boys will just never get the hang of tying a tie (that would be me).
You're never too young to help paint an apartment.
For those that have the time and the money to spare, playing the stock market can be both profitable and fun.
Sometimes in life, all you need are a remote control, a good recliner, and a can of Pringles.
As you get older, birthdays and Christmas become so much less about presents and so much more about presence.