"What did your father teach you?"

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey tell his story!

With our daughters going back to school, I was thinking recently about how much I learned from my father. My father taught me about my roots, saying, “Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?” He taught me about the physics of time travel: “Boy, if you don’t stop that, I’m gonna knock you into the middle of next week.” And I learned my sense of humor from him, “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.” And I learned about anticipation—“Just wait until we get home”—and receiving—“You are going to get it when you get home!”

My father taught me about the circle of life when he told me, “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out” and osmosis, “Shut your mouth and eat your supper.” I learned irony from my father: “Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.”

But most of all, my father taught me wisdom, saying, “When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.” I’m starting to understand, Dad. And thank God for all you taught me about listening to life!

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