Some Things to Think About: Lessons from My Dad

By Lois Elrich

A touching depiction of a father-daughter bond at its best—one from which we gain much insight.

A strong relationship with her father propelled Lois Elrich into becoming a successful wife, mother, and entrepreneur. She captures her dad's wisdom, sharing entertaining stories that both amuse and pull at the heart strings. Readers are encouraged to believe in themselves, listen to their intuition, and reach for the stars—all while being motivated by powerful anecdotes and practical advice.

With love for her father evident on every page, Lois reveals the true nature of relationships and how best to make the most of them. The result is an enticing and inspiring read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798986607016

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© 2023 Lois Elrich

First Edition

Twenty-Six Book Group

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages.

Some Things to Think About: Lessons from My Dad

Editorial Services: Leslie Atkins/LA Communications, LLC

Cover Photograph: Sarah Bennett/WeDoVids, LLC

Photos from Shutterstock.com: Seize the Day by Yuganov Konstantin. Precious Talks by Pressmaster. Practice Makes Perfect by Jaromir Chalabala. Life Is Good by Katrina Elena. Better to Laugh Than Cry by AlohaHawaii. Some People Need More Help Than Others first image by Olga Savina, second image by Vasilyev Alexandr. Truth Doesn’t Have to Hurt by InesBazdar. Giving It Up by Pavel L Photo and Video. Continue to Keep Trying by alphaspirit.it. Have Projects to Work On by Smolina Marianna. Weighing Your Options first image by sindlera, second image by Switlana Sonyashna. Can You Hear Me by Robert Kneschke. Eye on the Target by Tomsickova Tatyana. Groundhog Day by Asada Nami. Priceless image by StockImageFactory.com. What Do You See first image by Sharomka, second image by Zabavna. Cultivating Confidence and Trust by Tatevosian Yana. Why Did I Buy That Latte by Sunny studio. Sticks and Stones by EvgeniiAnd. Helping Others by courtyardpix. To Feel or Not to Feel by fizkes. What Is Your Superpower by Rawpixel.com. Half Full or Half Empty by p_ponomareva. Whose Shoes Are You Trying to Wear first image by Chepko Danil Vitalevich, second image by zhukovvvlad. Being Good to Others by Nolte Lourens. Being Positive by dreamerve. Cheerios, Cookie Dough, and Popcorn by Monkey Business Images. The Person on the Inside Dresses the Person on the Outside by NeonShot. What You Think About Comes About by Yuliya Evstratenko. Find What You’re Seeking first image by Jill Richardson King, second image by Lopolo. Curiosity by Kiselev Andrey Valerevich. Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick by Evgeny Atamanenko. People Are Good by David Pereiras. Perception by umarazak.

Printed in the United States of America

Print ISBN: 979-8-98660-700-9

E-Book ISBN: 979-8-98660-701-6

To my husband, sons, daughters-in-law

And grandchildren for loving

And encouraging me

You make it all worthwhile

To my Savior, Jesus Christ

The greatest teacher

For giving me purpose

To my mom for putting up

With all the shenanigans

To my mother-in-law for

Teaching me to keep doing what is right

And to my dad for inspiring me

By sparking my thoughts through our conversations

And by his examples of what to do and not do

Contents

Introduction

Seize the Day

Precious Talks

Practice Makes Perfect

Life Is Good

Better to Laugh Than Cry

Some People Need More Help Than Others

Truth Doesn’t Have to Hurt

Giving It Up

Continue to Keep Trying

Have Projects to Work On

Weighing Your Options

Can You Hear Me?

Eye on the Target

Groundhog Day

Priceless

What Do You See?

Cultivating Confidence and Trust

Why Did I Buy That Latte?

Sticks and Stones

Helping Others

To Feel or Not to Feel

What Is Your Superpower?

Half Full or Half Empty

Whose Shoes Are You Trying to Wear?

Laughter

Being Good to Others

Being Positive

Cheerios, Cookie Dough, and Popcorn

The Person on the Inside Dresses the Person on the Outside

What You Think About Comes About

Find What You’re Seeking

Curiosity

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick

People Are Good

Perception

26 of the Many Things I Learned from My Dad

About the Author

Introduction

My dad was and is my hero in many ways.

He spent time talking with me and teaching me many lessons that carry me through both joyful and problematic situations, giving me a basis for meeting challenges and the desire to improve.

Dad was not a perfect man, but then no one is. I don’t view him through rose-colored glasses, but I do appreciate that he always tried his best, especially where I was concerned.

He loved me and made sure I knew he wanted the best for me. I learned from the things he taught me as well as from observing what he did as he walked through life.

I am my own person but I have the privilege of standing on Dad’s shoulders, of starting where he let off. I’ve written what I learned along the way in order to pay his love and his lessons forward.

I strive to adhere to these lessons 100 percent, but I don’t get it right all the time. I do, however, get it right some of the time.

I miss Dad so much but I’m keeping his ideas and kindnesses alive by sharing them with you, my readers. I hope they help you as much as they help me.

—Lois Elrich

Seize the Day

In thinki ng about my dad, the mantra seize the day pops to mind. I picture a young girl, apparently me, standing on top a mountain claiming victory for reaching the summit. What a feeling of satisfaction!

This little girl sets out to make the day just the way she wants it, and to make the most of it. I envision all the planning that goes into her feat—planning how to climb the mountain and determining what gear is needed—the right shoes, a warm shirt, even a cape fashioned from a bathroom towel.

When I was little, I wanted to float in the air. Like the young girl of my imagination, I created a plan. First I needed something to be my parachute and Dad’s hankie was the obvious choice—check. Next I needed something tall from which to jump—the swing set slide would work nicely—check. The thrill of floating bubbled inside me as I prepared to soar. Then, as if I was able to leap tall buildings, I jumped! It didn’t take long for me to fall to the ground. Thankfully it wasn’t a tall slide, and I survived without injury.

Best of all, I had a great time—I had seized the moment! My plan wasn’t detailed, but for a five-year-old, it was well thought-out.

I wonder how often we pause to plan. Most things we do, we do in a kind of autopilot. This makes sense for many tasks like brushing our hair. So, how do we know when to slow down and plan? Birthdays, graduations, and weddings are occasions many devote time to get just right. But how often do we take time to prepare for the one inescapable inevitable—death?

In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter: In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. It’s possible to skirt paying taxes. Doing so might be complex and tricky, and there are consequences to not paying them; but if a person tries hard enough, they can avoid paying taxes. But not paying your taxes is not the topic.

The subject is death and the necessity to prepare for