An Ode To My Father

Always hug your dad. 
There was a stretch of time when I was a teen that I barely spoke to my dad. I wrote earlier this week about how much shame I felt when I got out of the hospital for anorexia. That silence and shame is what led to me not having much of a relationship with my dad. 
But eventually that changed. 
He drove me up the coast of California looking at colleges. 
And in college when I decided to switch from prelaw to theatre, my dad fully supported my decision. And when my two sisters both got PhDs and I just kept with my bachelors, I never felt any pressure from him to go back to school. 
When I returned home at 23 with a baby and 2 weeks worth of clothes, he made being there for Vivi a priority, going above and beyond Grandpa duties. 
He can be spotted at BMK every weekend cleaning out the chicken and goat pens, tending the garden, taking the girls bike riding and pitching in wherever needed without a complaint. 
When I was 5 years old I had to drive home from Minnesota to Iowa with my dad, while my older sister stayed at the lake with my grandparents, I was mad as a cat. 
My dad pulled over the car and turned to me, saying, “Here’s the deal, we are stuck in this car and nothing is changing that, the only thing you can change is your attitude. You can choose to have fun or be miserable. But I’m going to enjoy myself.” 
Amor Fati. Embrace your fate. Love your fate. Recognize what is in your control and what is not. That is what Stoic philosophy is all about. 
The next summer when I was old enough to stay at the cabin, I drove my sister and grandparents crazy by singing along to my tape recording of the book Little Critter’s Just Me and My Dad. 
This week I found myself teaching in the same auditorium that my dad has for the last 33 years. Although I was teaching the med students leadership/emotional intelligence not anything science related. And when he stopped by to say good luck, I didn’t hesitate to give him a hug and ask someone to take our picture. 
Just me and my dad.

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About Becky

Becky Schmooke (pronounced “Smoke”) is a Mindful Leadership Consultant and Speaker, focused on providing action based mindfulness and leadership training to organizations and businesses who are ready to do things differently.

Becky’s Mindful Kitchen, is located outside of Iowa City, and provides truly unique team building and leadership retreats, strategic planning workshops, private parties and classes and weekly summer camps for kids. The commercial teaching kitchen, treehouse, archery range, bush craft skills, first aid training, wood fired pizza oven, chickens, baby goats and timber adventure playground provides endless opportunities for hands on activities.

As a mom to three girls, 60 chickens, 4 goats, 2 dogs and a fire fighter’s wife- life is never boring and provides Becky with endless stories which she uses to illustrate her approach to mindfulness in daily posts on social media.

In all that she does, Becky has one goal, to build confidence in others to take action to live their best life, not just pass time.

Follow For Daily Posts and Baby Goat Videos!

About Becky

In all that she does, Becky has one goal, to build confidence in others to take action to live their best life, not just pass time.