My father was a man of many words, hence the title of my column and blog. But while Dad Said it Best, Mom has always led by example. At 92, my mother is an enduring example of  beauty, grace and strength. I know now how Mom's actions said more than words ever could.

What does it mean to act your age? When I was young, I was ahead of myself, eager to grow up and gain the freedoms of adulthood. Now that I'm suddenly over the hill, I'm eager to retain as much youthfulness as I can. Apparently, I've never learned to act my age. Have you?

Just last night, I stumbled across a couple yellowed pages of notebook paper scrawled with my handwriting. I started reading my thoughts from 18 years ago. And yet, despite the passage of nearly two decades, it’s as if time has folded in on itself. The anchors of my mind are still set by the words of my father. Dad said it best.

Most of us are eager to turn the page on 2020, put the year in the rearview mirror and move on. As we set our hopes on the promise of returning to some semblance of normal in 2021 after our personal and work lives have been totally disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we can begin formulating new goals and resolutions to be met in the upcoming year.

Dad knew he couldn’t just mandate upstanding moral character; he had to model it in order for us kids to follow his example. He would go out of his way to practice kindness. My dad demonstrated that the spirit of giving should be a natural outflow of everyday life. If you would like to join together with like-minded people to spread kindness, consider joining From Cleveland to Kindland. This citywide initiative inspires the Cleveland area to be a community of kindness and a model for the rest of the nation to follow.

“Begin the Beguine” was a popular song written by Cole Porter in 1934. To my father, it was yet another one-liner he’d toss into conversation for dramatic effect.

What stands the test of time is the evidence of either a job well done or a trail of sloppy missteps, mistakes, and burned bridges. If you demonstrate that you’re dependable, on time and agreeable, that speaks much louder than your list of accomplishments, awards, certifications and degrees. 

If you don’t like our weather, just wait a few days. My Dad — and everyone else’s — likely repeated some version of this refrain in every season due to the fickle weather in Northeast Ohio.