Dad’s Life Lessons

Individuals or groups go through a lot of transitions throughout life. Some are harder then others. Regardless of how hard they are, we all go through them at some point or another in our lives. To be able to handle the changes successfully we need a great deal of skills and qualities. That is why my dad tried teaching us time and time again, the three D’s: "Direction", "Determination", and "Dignity".

With every change there comes two different ways that you could decide to go. That is where the first "D" comes into play. You need Direction to be able to pick which road to take. People may try to point you in the way that they want you to go, but you are the one that must walk down the road. So you are the one with the final say when you pick the direction that you want your life to go in.

Next step is when the path that you have picked becomes a little rocky. You feel like you want to give up. Determination starts its tune here. As long as you are listening to the notes playing in your head, you will make it to the end of your trail.

The last "D" comes, when your walk is all over and you are looking around. You realize that you’ve made it to the end of your rope. Sure, you did it with some falls, cuts, and near misses. That is when Dignity kicks you in the butt and says, "Look you made it, you are the one that did it."

Now I can see the reason for my dad drilling Direction, Determination and Dignity into our heads all this time. So that when the moment came where we need these tools, we would have them to deal with life’s many ups and downs.

Essay by:

Robyn Champagne

08-06-02