Lessons from a toolbox
Do-it-myself home improvements have taught me incredible lessons. I have always believed that the road you travel is less bumpy when you treat people just like you want to be treated. Having a family adds another dimension to the journey of life. I have learned things that have shaped my property business and contributed to me as a father.
Whenever she saw me busy at home, my three-year old daughter would blabber non-stop that she wanted "to yapoo". A parent's first instinct is to meet the child's needs, even when their developing language doesn't give much to go by. We would take her to the toilet and when that didn't work, offer her a snack and then a drink. Nothing seemed to help us translate her babbling.
One day, while I was screwing on a door handle, my daughter came up to me with her own little toy toolbox saying, "I want to yapoo." In that instant, we finally understood. What she wanted all along was to help me. As parents, we lead by example, even when we're not aware of it.
Fatherhood also taught me these valuable lessons: