What would Martin do?

I often catch myself thinking “What would Martin (Dad) do?”

He’s been gone 25 years and I still refer to the valuable life lessons that he impressed upon me.

My Dad’s actions spoke louder than words… and that’s how we learned.

He was a quiet man… reserved and often wrongly perceived as aloof, when in fact he was actually fully engaged… quietly listening, analyzing and preparing what to say. And when he did speak you listened and his words were full of wisdom and carefully articulated so not to be misconstrued.  He was the strong silent type. Thoughtful, kind and generous. I never knew how truly generous he was until his funeral; when numerous people shared their stories of how he helped them. How he stood by them in difficult times until they “got through”. He gave to family, neighbours, community, customers and friends; his time, money and kindness… without expectation of return.

He was also proud, bold and courageous in his ventures; and he ambitiously strived for business success. Methodical, yet not afraid to take risks in order to prevail. And he did succeed… in so many ways. He was successful financially and with his relationships with family, friends, customers and employees. When challenged with adversity he faced it head on, with the mantra “When the going get tough, the tough get going”.

My Dad  lived his life with integrity and gratitude… values that will not be forgotten.

What would Martin do? At 56, his final lesson to all of us was “Remember to stop and smell the roses”… take the time to engage with family and friends… act on your dreams and desires… cherish the moments!

Dad you are “Forever in our hearts” xox