1. I worked for an athletic store called Athletic Attic in Orlando in the late 70's. This was about the time that it was becoming popular to wear t-shirts and other clothing items with company logos on them. You know, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, etc.

My dad could not fathom the fact the people would pay money to advertise a company on their chest. He thought Nike should be paying me to wear their t-shirt and advertise for them.

2. Whenever I needed to do something that was hard or face something difficult, his advice was always the same:

"Stick to your guns, son."

I learned persistence and not giving up from that one.

3. If any of us left a door open, my Dad found it very important to tell us that he was not working to air condition/heat all of Orange County.

4. You could always tell which of our friends or neighbors he liked and didn't like. If he liked you, he would tease and joke with you. If he did not like you, he was polite and civil with you.

5. The highest compliment he could bestow upon someone was to say "She is the type that will always appreciate what you give her."

It took me awhile to really understand what that meant. What I have taken from it is a keen appreciation for all my blessings.

Visit http://www.ParentingYourTeenager.com for tips and tools for thriving during the teen years. For regular weekly tips you can subscribe to our f-ree Parenting Your Teenager Newsletter. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 5 day e-program on The Top 5 Things to Never Say to Your Teenager from parenting coach and expert Jeff Herring.