My dad has always spoken through the books he gifts. The following four books were all gifts from him during during pivotal moments in my life:
1. Old law books from when he went to law school himself. In the photo (there are boxes more of these, as you can imagine) is the Civil Code Annotated by J. Paras, 12th Edition. A dusty old relic. Gifted to me as I entered law school in 2017.
2. The Personal MBA by Josh Kauffman. Gifted to me when I decided to leave law school at the end of that year. I remember telling him and my family that I wanted to try venturing into something more entrepreneurial.
3. Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar. Gifted to me when I took on my first job as part of the Heineken sales team.
4. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Gifted to me when I started taking writing for Only a Handful more seriously.
Of course, these are but a few of the books I’ve received from my dad over the years. Growing up, I was forced to read to the point of hating it. Eventually though, I learned to love it and the patience required to finish a book.
As a kid, I remember my dad sharing this realization over dinner: most of the gifts we give to other people are gifts we want for ourselves. And that was my first lesson on projection. Anyway, it was clear, following this logic, that my dad gave me all these books because he loved books himself and that he wanted these for me – the books and what they stand for.
For a man who has read so many books that we had to build a library at home, where even my sisters had to share rooms, it’s not a surprise: books are his currency. They are the language of choice to say things like, “I support you.” or “I’m proud of you.” or “Keep doing what you do.” A book is the stamp of approval. It’s the silent prayer and hope that the wisdom contained in these pages take you to where you need to be. And as long as the wisdom is with you, so am I.
Thank you, Pa, for being a father to me, the family, and so many others. Happy birthday!