A Father's Day Tribute to My Dad
By Peter Mirus ( bio - articles - email ) | Jun 19, 2010
My dad has been the biggest personal and business influence in my life. For better or worse, the composition of a man is significantly shaped by his father; in my case, decidedly for the better.
I’ve been blessed with a number of strong father figures in my life—including my father-in-law and my spiritual director—and each has provided me with a good example to follow. My own father, however, has been at the core of my development. He has understood my own strengths and weaknesses—often, earlier than I understood them myself.
My dad has loved me constantly, even through those times when he undoubtedly wanted to knock my block off. He’s listened to my philosophies, corrected my inaccuracies, encouraged me when I felt miserable, and cautioned me when I’ve been riding too high.
I learned from my Dad three basic priorities in life. He’s wanted me to be holy, so that I can learn God’s will and do it. He’s wanted me to be healthy, so that I can take care of myself and serve those around me. And he’s wanted me to be happy, so that I can address life’s challenges with a joyful spirit. When I was growing up, I had no doubt about what was most important—even if I didn’t tailor my behavior accordingly.
My Dad knows what it means to sacrifice in order to communicate Truth to others. Over the years, he has shown me (by his example) how to dedicate myself to providing others with the opportunity to be educated in the Catholic faith. There are people in various parts of the United States and the world that credit at least some part of their personal conversion to the work that my Dad has done or directed.
Dad has shown me that, in business, people are the most important. Accordingly, I’ve hired employees who understand the same thing. We care for each other, and we care for the client. No matter what we do in my company, we value relationships and the opportunity to help clients make positive transformations.
Dad’s left a great legacy, and since he’s active and healthy in his early sixties, I bet he’s not even close to being done.
Who knows what the future will bring? The economy is tough. New work (and new donations for our apostolic work at CatholicCulture.org) are hard to come by. Well, as someone once said: “the great thing about being a Christian is that that you already know the outcome.”
My Dad taught me how to live that.
Peter Mirus is a business, marketing, and technology consultant with more than 20 years of experience working with companies and nonprofits, ranging from start-ups to large international organizations. From 2004-2014 he contributed articles on the Catholic Faith, culture, and business to the CatholicCulture.org website.
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: dmva9806 -
Jun. 16, 2019 12:12 PM ET USA
Very apt argument - but only true for those already convinced pt its truth; to be totally ignored by those already convinced of their own correctness. Only one totally innocent and seeking truth might be converted. But they are not likely to be reading this. Let it be, do good, fast, and pray. At least, you are doing your job well.
-
Posted by: Cory -
Jun. 12, 2019 10:28 AM ET USA
Well doesn't that just expose the lie that legalization is supposed to make it safe. One way or another the devil emerges from behind the cloak.
