Lessons from the man that means the most

Have you ever wanted to do something so someone you loved would be memorialized? That time would never forget this special person? That you had something, physical, to hold on to this person’s memory and being?

My grandpa would have been 104 today. He was my rock. He was my person. He was my knowledge, my adventurous spirit, my smile.

There are so many memories that I hold onto where we traveled together, learned together, made mistakes together, laughed together and just be in silence together.

There is a boys and girls club in his name, that he built, because he was just that type of person. But I’ve been wondering for a very long time how I can write down his lessons, his knowledge, so I can pass it on to my family and they can learn to live like he did.

I want to share some of the life lessons that he taught me from the first time I had a memory to our last conversation in his hospital room. I think the world deserves that. I think the world deserves to hear his words.

1. I leave the waitress a big tip. It will bring a smile to his/her face. And make more of a difference than you will know.

2. Learn peace. Stop correcting people at every turn. It’s not your job to make people perfect.

3. Love. Love hard. Love deep. There is nothing more special than fully committing to someone and giving them your all.

4. Heartbreak is hard, but you will get through it.

5. Don’t use your name when making a reservation or waiting for a table. Come up with something goofy. It’s the little things that will make you laugh

6. Find someone to make you laugh. Life is too short to be serious and be with someone that is serious

7. Personality speaks louder than appearance.

8. Find someone who loves your personality.

9. Emotions make us human. Don’t apologize for them or having them

10. It is better to drop the ego than to break a relationship

11. Apologize when you are wrong. You aren’t perfect and humans make mistakes. What makes you a better person is when you can admit it.

12. You are responsible for your own happiness

13. Walk away from people that don’t know your worth

14. There is no time for selfishness – not from you or from the people in your circle. We are pack animals and meant to look out for each other

15. The secret to living a long time is to eat ring bologna

16. People have it worse than you, stop complaining

17. Don’t ever forget who protected the loop in Chicago so you could live there (he was stationed in the loop during WW2 and we often joked that he fought in the battle of the loop)

18. Make others smile and do whatever it takes to make them smile

19. Where these is darkness, be the light

20. Be a decent human being

There are hundreds and hundreds more, but felt these were the most relevant given how much humans hate each other right now. Spread kindness. Love like there is no tomorrow. And don’t be afraid to do karaoke in a dive bar.