“Dad is My Greatest Teacher” plus 1 more

Posted: 17 Jun 2011 05:05 AM PDT

photo by skpy http://www.flickr.com/photos/skippy/

There are a lot of young guys around the world that don’t get a chance to grow up with a father. And because of that, may lack the knowledge of what “being a man” is. At the same time, there are young men growing up that have a father at their disposal and still don’t get valuable life lessons. It’s a shame.

Shock

My father died when I was 18 years old during my senior year at high school. He had a blood clot pass in his lung. I remember the day vividly, being woken up at a friend’s house the night after my band played in some far off place. It was a beautiful, sunny, Sunday morning and I remember seeing my family members’ faces as I walked into the hospital. No one really said anything to me but I could hear from their expressions,

“Everything will be OK, bud.”

What happened next is a blur still to this day. I had to deal with the public viewing of my dead father, helping bury him at the funeral, a 21 gun salute, “becoming the man of the house” (or so all my relatives said), and appeasing my weakened mom in the process.

Lost

What happened in the next 3 years was something that I choose to describe as being lost. I entered a phase in my life where I was in a semi-touring, semi-serious band and had a terrible outlook on life. I had a problem with everything; from society to myself. I didn’t have any real friends or relationships and just “faked” my way through. I made a ton of terrible decisions, worked a crappy job and was looked down upon by my most of my family because of those terrible decisions.

It was only until I decided to make a drastic change in my life that I could make up for this lost time. Some people go 20 or 30 years without having a bottom in their lives and one day look back and see the wreckage of their past. Luckily, my bottom was at 21. I’ve come to accept this and liken it to what Robert Frost wrote,

“… the best way out is always through.”

He did his best

photo by roy_ http://www.flickr.com/photos/roy_/

After my period of being lost, I got very angry at my father for not being what I thought that he should have been in my life. Why did he never teach me to build a fire? Go camping? Teach me other “manly” stuff that every father teaches their son, right?

It took me a while to make my way through the five stages of grief. I was at the anger stage.

After talking to someone that had some more experience with death, life, and resentments I came to realize this: my father did the best he could with the tools that he had to work with. My dad never laid a hand on me or my mom, was at all of my opening nights at the theater when I was young and in plays, took me fishing (when I wasn’t being stubborn and wanted to go), wanted the absolute best for me and my mom, and later in life, indirectly taught me what it is to be a man.

And for that, I can overlook the not teaching me “how to build a fire thing”.

Learning from mistakes

So, what does this have to do with Father’s Day? Other than this post being something that I needed to write, accepting my father for who he was has enabled me to become the man that I truly want to be because of my learning from his mistakes.

Would you touch a hot stove right now? I have a feeling that if you have touched a hot stove in the past and remember the pain of being burnt, you won’t do it. It’s the same idea of learning how to be a man from my father.

If the old man before me did things that were right, then hopefully I pick up those traits. And if he did things that were wrong, I sure as hell need to learn not to do those things. Learning from my dad’s mistakes has helped me develop my own, upgraded “set of tools” that I can use to do my best in life.

Teach me

My dad was one of the greatest teachers I have ever met and he didn’t even try to be or know that he was. There are so many things that I have accomplished since his death that I wish I could share with him. That is the one thing that still chokes me up to this day. But, allowing to let my father live through me, I know that he is with me every step of the way; even when I’m stubborn and don’t want to go fishing.

So, on this Father’s Day, make sure that you understand that your dad does the best he can with the tools that he has. It’s not a father’s job to teach you how to build a fire. It’s your job to learn from him, develop your life’s tools to do your best, and live the life that you want to live.

7 Reasons You Should Eat Eggs for Breakfast

Posted: 17 Jun 2011 05:00 AM PDT

My boyfriend’s family are Irish. Which means whenever we go to visit there is a lot of laughter and story telling. There’s also lots of eating and drinking. It’s practically impossible not to have fun.

Usually it’s also impossible not to leave a few pounds heavier than you arrived.

But on our most recent visit, I set myself a little goal. I was determined to have fun and avoid putting on some Irish weight.

And my secret weapon?

I was going to eat eggs for breakfast rather than toast or oatmeal. Yep. That was my simple plan.

And the crazy thing is it worked. Granted, we were only there for a week, but this time I came home to scales that were the same as before I left.

Eggs are now part of my breakfast repertoire and I must say they are delicious. I look forward to breakfast much more these days. But if you need a bit more convincing…

7 Reasons You Should Eat Eggs for Breakfast

1. Egg keep you feeling full much longer than cereal or toast.
The protein and fat in eggs helps sustain your energy levels, keeping you satisfied for longer and reducing the need for a mid morning snack.

2. Eggs assist weight loss.
This is a follow on benefit from keeping you satiated. Studies have shown that people who eat eggs for breakfast are more likely to lose weight than those who ate bagels.

3. Eggs are a great source of protein.
Whole eggs are one of the most complete sources of protein, meaning eggs contain all the essential amino acids which we must get from our diets.

4. Eggs tend to be relatively inexpensive.
Compared to other high protein foods such as red meat, even free range eggs are more budget friendly.

5. Eggs aren’t going to make your cholesterol worse.
While it’s true that eggs do contain a significant amount of cholesterol, the old formula of the cholesterol you eat impacting on your blood cholesterol levels, has been disproven. So there’s no need to worry about eating eggs increasing your risk for heart disease.

6. Eggs help with brain development and memory.
Choline, an essential nutrient found in eggs, stimulates brain development and function. It has also been linked with increasing memory retention and recall as well as improving alertness.

7. Eggs protect your eyesight.
Two antioxidants, leutin and zeaxanthin, are present in eggs and have been linked to protecting eyes from damage related to UV exposure. They have also been associated with reducing the likelihood of developing cataracts in old age.

Think you don’t have time for a cooked breakfast?

Here are three great ways to prepare eggs in 5 minutes or less:

1. Boil eggs in advance
Boil up a big batch of eggs on the weekend and keep them at the ready for a quick breakfast on the go.

2. 60 second eggs
Just crack an egg into a microwave safe cup and zap on high for one minute. Stir, season and breakfast is ready.

3. Fried eggs
My favourite breakfast, there’s something beautiful about a good fried egg. Just heat a small skilled over a high heat for a minute or so, add a little oil, crack the eggs and add to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the whites are just set. Serve with spinach and lots of black pepper.

Do you eat eggs for breakfast? How do you like ‘em? Tell us in the comments below!